La Mia Stella
by IsabellaElizabeth1864
Summary: By doing the right thing, Elena lost her best friend and her once perfect life was ruined. Her ex-best friend Damon, made sure to become her tormentor when everything around her was crashing down. In the amidst of their feuding, she becomes the object of his desire. Damon becomes possessive of her and there is only so far she can run. Will she survive or becomes his light.
1. Snitch

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.**************  
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 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **I also already have chapter two done for this story.****************

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 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Charleston, South Carolina****************

 **March 7** **th** **2008 – 6pm**

The clouds overhead were threatening to rain and the sun was beginning to set, making the light outside darken more. Laughter could be heard has a bunch of teenage girls walked off the soccer field after their practice and towards their locker room. Everyone was either talking about which parties they would be attending after they got home or if they were going to the boy's varsity soccer game, while some were talking about the game the next day. There were a few girls talking about how their coach was unfair with practice and how the weather looked like there was going to be a storm.

Various girls hit the showers as soon as they got into the locker room, while others just began to change out of their grey practice jerseys. The girls were all different from each other, but they all blended well on the soccer field and they were an unbeatable force.

Within the seventeen players, there was one that was a beautiful sixteen year old girl with big dark brown eyes and dark brown curly hair that was stuck to her sweaty forehead. Her light olive skin was botchy from working out a few minutes ago. The young girl's face was dripping with sweat as she took a deep breath of air before taking a drink from her water bottle. She wiped her hand across her forhead, before opening her locker door. She quickly changed out of her practice uniform.

The young girl was of good height for a sixteen-year-old girl. The teenage girl had a slim body build to her, from years of playing various sports. She was your typical sixteen-year-old; there was nothing too special about her, except for her big brown eyes.

The teenage girl began to change out of her grey practice uniform and into her school uniform, knowing that she need to hurry because her older brother would be picking her up soon. She quickly began to change into her school uniform. She slipped into her navy blue and grey, plaid, pleated skirt. The plaid skirt hit her just above the knees. She buttoned her long sleeve; white button-up and then threw her navy blue blazer on, letting it hang open. She looked into the mirror she had on her locker door and began to work on her navy blue tie. She left her grey knee-high socks on, which were from her practice uniform and not her school uniform.

She couldn't believe how her parents could leave her nineteen year old brother in charge. She knew he was old enough to be in charge, but he didn't have the best track record. While thinking over her parent's choice in letting her brother be in charge this weekend, she began to get her shoulder bag out of her locker and slipped it over her head. She threw her cleats into her gym bag after taking them off and then picked up her gym bag.

"Elena, you leaving already?" Her friend Bonnie asked as she wrapped a towel around her body as she came out of the shower area. Bonnie was one of the seniors on the team and was one of the best goalies that the state had seen in a long time. Bonnie Bennett was an attractive eighteen-year-old with dark brown, long wavy hair and a light brown complexion. She was more petite than her friend, and one of the shorter goalies that their school had seen.

"Yeah," sighed Elena. "I have to meet Jer, he told me not to make him wait," she explained while slipping her feet into a pair of flip-flops that she used for the shower after practice. She lugged both of her bags up; one was filled with soccer gear, while the other was filled with schoolbooks. She had to adjust her gym bag strap on her shoulder.

"I could have just given you a ride," said Bonnie while going towards her locker that was close to Elena's.

"Do you really want to drive the thirty minutes to the ferry?" Elena asked while going towards the large double doors the led outside. Elena's fancy private school was in Charleston, while her hometown was an hour-long ferry ride from Point Beach Island and then a thirty-minute drive to her school.

"That wouldn't have been a problem, chickadee," Bonnie laughed while throwing something at Elena, who moved out of the way. "You should have just asked." Elena stuck her tongue out at her and Bonnie laughed before rummaging through her locker. "I thought Jeremy was away at college anyway?"

"Spring break," Elena said while rolling her eyes.

"Ah," Bonnie laughed as her green eyes lit up. "Why not call your brother and tell him you have a ride."

"He's probably already here and if I make him wait any longer, he'll be upset and I don't feel like listening to him complain about me holding him up from his party that he probably is hosting since mom and dad are out of town."

"Okay, if you're sure?" Bonnie asked before quickly changing into her bra and then pulling a shirt over it.

"Thanks anyway," Elena said before opening the locker room doors to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow," she called out over her shoulder as she left the locker room. She quickly made her way across the school campus and towards the student parking lot and where she told her brother she would meet him. When she got close enough to the parking lot, she noticed her brother's ugly old jeep was missing. Looking down at the time on her cell she noticed she was late meeting her brother. She did not know where her brother would be and it scared her a little bit. Quickly she dug her cell phone out of her bag and began dialing her brother's cell phone number, but she only got a busy signal.

While sighing she took a seat on the curb and looked down at her phone, willing her brother to call her and explain why he wasn't there to pick her up. The sun had already set and it was dark out in the parking lot with just light coming from the lampposts around her school campus.

"Elena, what are you still doing here?" Her teammate Taylor asked, making Elena jump. She hadn't noticed two of her teammates had walked up on her, because she was too busy looking down at her cell phone. "Where's your mom?" Taylor asked while getting her keys out of her purse. Taylor Montgomery was her captain on the team and a senior too, along with being student body president. Taylor was also one of the few people who took a liking to Elena when she entered the school last spring.

She looked up at them while saying, "I'm fine." She was trying to hide her annoyance that was written all over her face, because her brother wasn't there to pick her up. "My brother is supposed to be picking me," she sighed. "Dad had a conference in Myrtle Beach, so mom went with him," she explained while sighing again. "Making a weekend out of it, just for the both of them, but it just happened to be the same time that Jer was home for spring break," she replied after a few minutes of staring off into the distance of the parking lot.

"Need a ride, it's been a half hour since practice let out?" Taylor offered while slinging her gym bag over her shoulder and motioning towards her car.

"But I live on Point Beach Island," she pointed out while standing.

"I can take her Tay, I'm supposed to be meeting Liam tonight," Grace Henson said with a smile. "I can only drop you off at the ferry point, if that's okay?" Grace asked.

"That would be fine, because you don't have a permit to bring your car onto the island," she said while biting her lip. "But I…I don't know," she whispered while looking off into the distance of the parking lot again, wishing her brother's old jeep would appear. "What about if my brother shows up? He'd be pissed if I'm not here."

"Then he should be on time," Taylor said while bringing her light blonde hair over one of her shoulders.

Before either of them could say anything, they could hear the motor of a car pulling into the parking lot. Elena looked to where the noise was coming from and the smile on her face dropped. The car that appeared in the parking lot was a blue Camaro with the top down. She knew the car all too well and it just made her want her brother in that moment.

"Is that your brother?" Grace asked while motioning towards the Camaro that was speeding towards them. Elena watched as the car parked a few feet from where she was standing and she knew her teammates could tell now that the person driving was not her brother. She ignored her teammates questions and walked over towards the car.

"Get in," the person driving said while unlocking the door for her.

"Hello to you too, Damon!" Her voice had dropped the happiness it once held and turned ice cold. She stooped a little bit to get a better look at him.

Damon was an attractive sixteen-year-old boy with a semi-toned physique from running each morning, but he still looked like a teenage boy. Damon had dark brown hair that was almost black in certain lights. In the lampposts lights, it was looking very much black. He looked very much like a vengeful angel in his black leather jacket and black jeans.

She already knew that Damon had an air of self-confidence about him that you could not acquire by having money (even though his father was CEO of a large shipping company), he was just very confident in himself. She knew how he thought very highly of himself, which was different from the young boy she used to know. She also knew that he was the type that thought they could get anything they wanted and that every girl wanted them.

"I don't want to be here either, sweetheart," Damon said while looking over at her, as his sunglasses slipped down his nose, letting her catch a glimpse of his ice blue eyes. She hated those blue eyes; because they could make her do anything for him. She caught a glimpse of how glossy his eyes were, before he pushed his sunglasses back up.

He was watching her, just like she was watching him. He could tell that she was watching him in a very calculating way, almost like a snake ready to strike. He wanted a reaction out of her, but he knew that she was done giving him one. He would just settled for pissing her off, since that was only reaction he was going to get out of her.

She clicked her tongue against her front teeth as she stared him down, trying to figure out why he was in front of her. As Damon's dark eyelashes blinked for the first time since they started their staring contest, Elena finally had enough sense to look away, but when she noticed he turned to look at her teammates, she looked back over at him. She let her eyes travel to his high cheekbones and solid jaw line, which always made her take longer glances at him. He was not only attractive for being a sixteen-year-old boy, but he was also very handsome. She let her eyes travel to his black leather jacket that covered his toned upper body. She finished her observance of him as her eyes landed back on his and he was smirking at her. She had to bite her tongue from saying something inappropriate.

He had been watching her all the same, letting his eyes travel down her body. He noticed how her school uniform accented her tiny waist. He loved the private school girl look on her. Her dark brown eyes is always what got him and still did. He knew that her brown eyes could convey every emotion she felt, only if someone was watching.

She had to break the staring contest, because his stare was too intense for her and it made her skin feel all clammy. She could already feel a blush creeping up her neck and towards her cheeks as she looked down at her feet. Damon watched as her light olive complexion began to turn a pink color and he smirked more.

Taking another deep breath of air, she looked back at him. "Then why are you here?" She asked point blank, she had enough of his games.

"Because your brother asked me and because he's busy at the moment," Damon said while looking back over at her two teammates that were standing there. "Who are they?" He asked while giving them his patent 'bad boy' smile and it made Elena groan.

"Out of your league," she said while shaking her head. She was used to Jeremy's behavior with the opposite sex, so Damon's leering made her what to scream. She never remembered Damon being that way when they were younger. "Now why couldn't Jeremy come pick me up?" She asked impatiently, getting annoyed with Damon flirting with her teammates. She knew most girls thought that Damon was older, maybe seventeen or eighteen. She could see her two teammates smiling back at him and it made her want to bang her head against something.

"Didn't want to leave his own party, which I should be at," Damon sighed in annoyance. "Instead of picking you up, Snitch." As soon as those words left Damon lips, he could see how Elena's eyes widened and how she clamp her mouth shut quickly.

She hurriedly turned on her heels and made her way back over to her two teammates. She hated that nickname that her brother and his friends had come up with for her. Ever since they started calling her, Snitch, everyone had started treating her horribly at her old school. That nickname was one of the reasons why now she went to Victoria Academy, instead of her old high school on the island.

She kept walking towards her two teammates, even though Damon was yelling at her to come back. "Elena!" Damon called to her and she ignored him, hoping he would get annoyed and drive off. "Where are you going?" She could hear him calling out to her and she picked up her pace when she heard him opening his car door. "Elena, get back here!" He yelled after her and she kept on ignoring him.

"I need that lift," she said to Grace with a faint smile on her face, as she got closer. She could tell both girls were looking over shoulder at Damon and she took a quick peek to see him shutting his car door and coming towards them.

"Get back here, Elena!" He yelled at her. "We need to get going," he said while getting closer to her and she ignored him more.

"Can we please go?" She begged Grace, who gave her a weird look.

"Your brother will be pissed if I don't get you home in the next hour," he said while getting closer to her. "Something about you turning into a pumpkin if I don't," Damon laughed at his own joke, but she grinded her teeth together, while glaring at him.

"Who's he and what's going on?" Taylor asked while motioning to Damon who was stalking towards them

"No one, just a friend of my brothers," she said quickly. "Please just ignore him," she said while glaring over at Damon. "He's a Salvatore and he thinks that means he entitled to everything and that everyone should listen to him," she said loudly enough for him to hear. "What he doesn't realize is that the world doesn't work that way," she huffed while folding her arms over her chest and turning around to glare at him.

"Elena!" Damon shouted at her as he came to stop a few feet from her. "Now, Elena!" He said while motioning for her to go to the waiting car. She pursed her lips together and glared up at him, while shaking her head no. "Elena…Elena Marie, now damn it!" He yelled at her. She hated that fact that Damon and her had once been best friends and that he know more about her than most people (like her middle name). "Don't make me throw you over my shoulder!" He said while moving closer to her. "I won't be too nice about throwing you in that car, Princess."

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Taylor whispered to her and she nodded her head.

"Damon," she said slowly. "I got a ride, so go home…or maybe you should just call a cab," she said softly, as though she was taking to a child. She could tell that he was pissed at her, but it was nothing new and she really didn't care. Normally she hated pissing him off, because he would do something to get her back. Damon wasn't really nice when someone upset him or pissed him off, and she seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

He stubbornly said, "no," while walking closer to her. "Your brother told me to come pick you up, because he couldn't," he explained while stopping right in front of her. "So you're getting in my car and I am taking you home," he said while looking down at her. He was taller than her and she had to look up at him. "I don't know these two girls," he said while pointing towards Taylor and Grace. "And you're crazy if you think I am going to let them give you a ride home."

"Your crazy if you think I am getting in that car with you," she said while pushing towards his car and he let her. She was trying to get him away from her two teammates, so they couldn't listen into their conversation. She pushed him hard enough that he stumbled and had to catch a hold of his car door, before glaring at her. She got closer to him, even though he was glaring at her and she stood up on her tiptoes and took a deep breath of air. She could smell his cologne that made her week in the knees, but she could also smell the alcohol on his breath and could tell from his glossy eyes that that he was on his way to being drunk, if he wasn't already. "Your crazy if you think I am letting you drive me home," she hissed. "While your drunk!" She said while stepping back, but not before Damon grabbed a hold of both of her wrist and pulled her back towards him. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist to keep her from moving away from him. She was squashed up against him and she hated it, she hated being that close to him again.

"I'm not drunk, Snitch," he whispered in her ear and she shuddered at the contact. "And you would have to take the ferry all by yourself, since they can't bring a car over to the island and then you would have to walk all the way from the docks to your house in the dark," he said before softly biting her ear and she jumped back. She punched him the chest and he let her go.

"How dare you?" She hissed at him.

"I know you hate walking in the dark," he said with a smirk. "Let me take you home, and you won't have to."

She stood there and glared back at him, before looking over at her two teammates that probably thought she was crazy or that something seriously bad was happening. She looked back up at Damon and began biting her lip as she tried to figure out what she was going to do.

"Fine," she hissed at him before pushing him roughly again, before walking over towards her two teammates.

"Elena?" Grace asked concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said while sighing. "He's just a friend of my brothers and he annoys me, is all!" she explained while rolling her eyes. "I'm going to let him take me home, since he can take his car over to the island and I won't have to walk in the dark from the docks to my house."

"Are you sure?" Taylor asked, while looking over at Damon who was smirking at her.

"Positive!" She tried to sound cheerful, but it wasn't working. "I'll see you guys at the game tomorrow," she said before turning around and heading back towards the car and Damon.

"Come on Snitch, get in the car," Damon said while getting into his car. "Stop being a brat."

"Shut up," she hissed at him as she threw her bags into the back of the car. She waved over at her two teammates and tried to make it look like she was happy. She did not need her teammates either calling the cops or worrying about her. She knew Damon wouldn't seriously hurt her, maybe fuck with her emotions, but nothing that would physically hurt her. She got into the car and began to mess with his stereo as they drove out of the parking lot.

"Oh no you don't," he said while turning the stereo to a different station, but she switched it back quickly. "Stop," he said while going to turn the station again, but she smacked his hand away. "Elena!" He tried not to laugh at her childish behavior. She glared over at him and smacked his hand away again.

"I like this song," she said while softly beginning to sing along to the song.

"It's my car and I don't like this song," he said while going to change the station again, but again she smacked his hand away. "Stop, being childish, Snitch!" Elena glared over at him before looking out her passenger window. He knew that had pissed her off, but he loved pissing her off.

After several minutes of complete silence and the only noise being the blaring of rock music coming from the stereo, she turned to look over at him. He had taken his dark sunglasses off and was drumming his fingers on his steering wheel to the beat of the song. He looked relaxed and like her old Damon, not the new one that had taken over his body and ruined their friendship.

"What?" He asked while looking over at hery as the came to a stop at a red light.

"Nothing," she sighed while looking back out the window. "But you do need to slow down."

"Not going to happen," he said while turning the music up louder, it was now thumping and make the car jump a little bit.

"You're an ass," she shouted over the music.

"Why? I haven't done anything wrong," he said while smirking over at her and she glared back over at him. "You need to smile more!"

"I do, just not around you," she huffed while looking out the passenger window again.

"That hurts my feelings, mia stella." She just sighed and looked out the window, trying to ignore Damon.

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 **Okay so this is the first chapter and it's a little long, I just hope you guys enjoyed it and are wondering what is going on between on main characters. Please leave me your reviews, no flames though. I want to hear your guys thoughts on what is going on between our main characters. I'll try to answer any of your guys questions that you may have.**

 **Also, I know there is no thing as Point Beach Island off the coast of South Carolina, but it was something I came up with and researched. I just hope you guys enjoyed it.**


	2. Katherine

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.**************  
**

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **I also already have chapter three done!****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **This chapter will give you more information into Elena's life.****************

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 **Point Beach Island, 8pm**

The rest of the drive back to the island had been filled with awkward silence. As soon as the car came to complete stop outside of small two-story home that Elena and her family called home, she quickly jumped out. She did not live in the more upscale part of the island, where Damon and his family lived. She lived in the village part of the island, a little ways from the harbor and the docks. The village was right in the center of the island, while the harbor was over near the gated community on the island and the docks weren't that far from the village. The harbor was where all the upper class citizens on the island docked their fancy yachts. Commercial fishermen and the ferries that transported islanders on and off the island used the docks.

The Salvatore's lived on the four mile long stretch of white sandy beaches that the island liked to boast about, that was a tourist destination. The whole island had a flare about it that you couldn't find anywhere else. The island had a quirky side about it and it showed everywhere, but in the gated community of Crest Hill. Who ever visited the island quickly realized just how divided the citizens were. Different little shops littered the main street in the village. Everything was closed already and the only lights were coming from the lamppost and houses.

The road that Elena and her family lived on was a few streets over from the main street. Elena quickly grabbed her bags and turned to make her way up to her house, when she noticed unfamiliar cars parked along her street and all the lights shinning from her house. She could hear the loud music thumping from her house, along with shouting and laughing. She sighed loudly and trudged up the sidewalk and towards the porch where a few people were standing and drinking, talking loudly to each other.

"Wait up, Elena!" She could hear Damon calling out to her, but she ignored him as she pushed passed people and made her way into her living room that had been turned into a dance floor. There were people crowding onto couches, chairs and the makeshift dance floor, while drinks were splashing everywhere as people tried to dance with cups in their hand or when they clinked their cups together.

She had to push pass people to make her way towards the kitchen, but was stopped when she heard her brother's voice. Turning around, she found her older brother coming towards her, stumbling a little bit. Her older brother, Jeremy was good looking with a muscular build and dark brown hair and eyes. Her and her brother looked very much a like, taking more of their looks from their father Grayson.

"Jeremy!" Elena sighed.

"Don't be judgy," Jeremy warned while taking a drink from his cup.

"Oh don't worry, Jer…she had that stick up her butt when I picked her up," Damon yelled over the music as he came to stop beside them.

"Shut up," she hissed at Damon who smirked back at her. "I'm not cleaning this up after your done," she warned her brother while heading for the stairs.

"That's my baby sis, I know and love," said Jeremy while glaring at his younger sister.

"I'm going upstairs," she said while beginning to push pass people.

"No your not," Jeremy called after her.

"Why not?" She hissed as she turned around to face her brother. Damon had gone off somewhere else. "This is my house too."

"You're not staying here tonight, baby sis."

"Where do you expect me to go, genius?" She huffed while pushing people out of her way as she went up stairs, she could hear people yelling at her, but she didn't care.

The loud music was thumping along to the sound of Elena's heart as she made her way upstairs, dragging her two bags behind her. People refused to move out of her way, so she began to push them out of her way. Has she got to the top of the stairs, she went to turn so she could go towards her room, but she caught a glimpse of two people making out as they went towards a closed door. She stood there a second, while letting her bags hit the hardwood floor with a thud. She stared at the two people, hoping she was wrong and the couple wouldn't open the closed door that they were leaning on. As soon as she heard the click of the door, she was over by the two people and was slamming the door in their faces.

While pushing them back, she screamed, "What the hell do you think your doing?"

"Woe...what's your problem?" The guy of the group asked while laughing. Elena glared at him as she caught a whiff of alcohol on his breath.

"Your not allowed up here," she said while glaring more at them. "The party's downstairs," she seethed.

"Jeremy, said to make ourselves at home and that to take any room we like." She closed her eyes quickly, trying to calm herself from screaming at the people and marching back downstairs to have a word with her brother. She noticed that the guy and girl were two people she had never seen before on the island.

"Well he was wrong," she said through clenched teeth. "This area is off limits," she seethed. "Get the hell away from me and get back downstairs," she growled.

"Chill, your just overreacting," the guy laughed.

"News flash, dumb ass…my brother doesn't live here anymore, but I do and I am telling you get your ass back downstairs, because you sure as hell aren't going in this room or any of the rooms up here," she yelled at them.

"Whatever man, you're just overreacting for nothing," the guy laughed as he turned to leave while pulling the girl who was dressed in a skimpy outfit behind him.

"Bitch!" Elena heard the girl say. As soon as they disappeared downstairs, she collapsed against the door and let out a big breath of air that she didn't know she was holding in. She stood there for a few more seconds before heading to her own room. She picked up her bags and made her way into her cramped little room. She went towards her window and flung open the window, the window creaked opened. She took a seat on her window seat that had a blue colored blanket and pillows there. She looked out into the night sky, before looking back into her small bedroom that was covered wall to wall almost with all over of her pictures. There were so many of her pictures clinging to the walls that you couldn't tell that the walls were colored a dark blue.

She had one dark wood dresser that was placed in front of her bed and beside her closet door. She had three bookcases in her room, filled to the brim with all of her books. She had a small dark wood desk that was right beside the left side of her window. There were books lining the back of the desk, along with one of her notebooks and pencils, there was also an old camera sitting atop some of her books. Everywhere you looked in her room, you could see pictures that she had taken. She also had a shelf above her bed holding her trophies from the sports she played in and different academics she was in. She had a huge map of the world hanging above her desk with thumbtacks sticking out of certain places she had been and places she wanted to go.

Slowly she reached over to where she left her bags on her bed and grabbed her cell phone. She began dialing her best friend, Caroline's number. She looked out her open window that was letting the chill air in and cooling her overheated skin. Through the opened window she could see Caroline's house down the street and could see that her friend's light was still on.

"Hello." She could hear her friend Caroline say into the phone.

"Care," she said with a smile.

"Lena?" Caroline asked.

"Who else?" Elena laughed.

"Sorry, I didn't look to see who was calling," Caroline, laughed. "So are you home yet?"

"Yeah!" Elena sighed. "I'm guessing you can hear the music all the way down there?"

"Yeah," laughed Caroline. "So your brother's home?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Elena grumbled.

"Your brother better be glad that mom's over in Crest Hill taking care of something…and that dad isn't back from cleaning up the shop."

"Not my problem," Elena said while shaking her head. "I wish your mother would come and shut down the party."

"Early morning?"

"Yeah, game at eleven tomorrow…and we have to be there an hour before the game starts."

"Yuck," Caroline paused before saying, "do you want to come over?"

"I was actually calling to ask that. I can't stay here," said Elena with a smile on her face, at how her best friend knew her so well. "I would be leaving at seven, so I can get my run in and then leaving at eight. I promise not to wake you or anything," Elena rambled.

"Lena, shut up and get your ass over here," Caroline laughed.

"You don't have to ask me twice. I'll be over in a few minutes," she said with a smile on her face. "Thanks bestie," she said before hanging up and beginning to change out of her school uniform. She changed into her favorite comfortable white tank, and then throwing on her grey sweater that was opened, and then she slipped into her dark skinny jeans. She slipped her feet in a pair of her old grey flats, before beginning to pack both of her bags.

A few minutes later, Elena was dragging both of her bags back downstairs and towards the kitchen to grab some food before making her way over to Caroline's. Poking her head into the refrigerator she pulled out her drink for tomorrow and then her lunch food too, along with a snack to eat on the way over.

"What are you doing?" She could hear her brother ask. Standing up, she quickly looked over at her brother as she was shoving her drink into her gym bag.

"What does it look like?" She replied back as she went towards the back door.

"Elena?" Jeremy called out to her. "Click?" At the nickname that she hadn't heard in almost six years, it stopped her dead in her tracks and had her turning around to face her brother.

"You have no right to call me that," she seethed.

"Elena!" Jeremy warned.

"Don't," she hissed. "I knew you were stupid, but I didn't know that you were thoughtless and uncaring," she seethed more.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jeremy asked confused.

"Wonder what mom would have thought had she known that your friends had almost went into Katherine's bedroom…because you told them to make themselves at home, saying to take any room they like," she said while beginning to cry. "How could you? Did you not love her? Did she mean nothing to you? You know no one is allowed in Katherine's room, not even us," she cried. "Mom would have been mortified, seeing has she hasn't even been in the room since the accident."

"Lena!" He softly said while moving closer to her, but she pushed him away. He could tell that she was upset and he understood why.

"I'm going to Caroline's," she called over shoulder. "I locked mine and Katherine's rooms," she said has she slammed the door behind her. She didn't get far from her house before she heard someone calling her name. Turning around she could see Damon walking towards her, looking every bit like the angel of darkness that he was.

"What?" She sighed loudly while quickly wiping away the tears, not wanting him to see her cry. She didn't need him taunting her anymore tonight.

"Not happy to see me?" Damon laughed, but quickly stopped when he saw the tears running down her cheeks.

"Not particularly," she said in a scathing tone while turning back around to begin her way towards her friend's house.

"Elena," he called out to her again, but this time she kept on walking. "Where are you going?"

"Caroline's," she yelled over her shoulder. "Not like you care!" Without a second look, she crossed over to the other side of the street and quickly made her way towards her friend's house.

* * *

 **Thank you to my readers and reviewers, I am glad that you guys enjoyed the first chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this second chapter and are wondering what is going on. I hope it makes you want to read more.**

 **TVDTVDTVD:** Thank you for your review. I am glad that you liked the first chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

 **jairem:** Thank you for your review. Damon tormentors her mentally, not physically.

 **cesy:** Thank you for your review. Glad you enjoyed it!

 **Dove:** Thank you for your review. You'll have to keep reading to find out why Elena is being called Snitch.


	3. After The Soccer Game

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.**************  
**

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **This is just a filler chapter, the more interesting things come in the next chapter.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **I also already have chapter four done for this story.****************

* * *

 **March 8** **th** **2008 – 4pm**

Elena slowly moved around her living room as she cleaned up her brother's mess, with an ice bag wrapped around her thigh. She leisurely picked up a nasty looking pair of underwear that was stuck on her family's couch as she threw it into the trash bag she was holding. In that moment, she was beyond pissed that her brother had left the house so disgusting and didn't even think to clean up after his friends. She was too busy bending down to scrub a beer stain on of the floor, that she didn't hear her front door opening.

"Oh wow," said Caroline as she came into the room as she put the back of her hand up to her nose. Elena looked around the couch quickly to look at her friend, but regretted it a minute later. Her body was stiff from her soccer game. "Not to be mean, but it smells disgusting in here."

"Welcome to the after party," Elena said while waving her hands around to show her brother's mess as she peeked from behind the couch.

"Tell me your not cleaning?" Caroline asked while looking around the house in disgust. Caroline was a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl with medium, curly, golden blonde hair and bluish green eyes. She was tall just like Elena was, just a little bit taller than Elena, but not by much.

"I can't leave it like this," she said while picking up a beer can and throwing it into the trash bag from where she was on her knees cleaning up the beer stain.

"Yeah but its your brother's mess, Lena."

"I know, but mom and dad are supposed to be back tomorrow morning and I know Jeremy won't clean it," she said while moving the couch back to where it was supposed to be. "I can't leave it like this for mom to find, she'll be downright pissed."

"Maybe they should find it like this, so your brother can finally get in trouble."

Elena moved around from behind the couch and came to stand beside her friend while saying, "yeah, I know but I can't leave the mess for my mom to clean up. That wouldn't be right either."

"What the hell happened to you?" Caroline asked shocked at the appearance of her best friend. Elena was wearing a pair of lose fitting shorts and a tank top. The whole outfit showed off Elena's bruises she had gotten from her soccer game earlier. She had cleat imprints on her bruised thigh, but that was covered up by the ice bag she had wrapped around her leg. She also had a bruise forming around the side of her head and her shoulder was pretty banged up too.

"Soccer game," laughed Elena while taking a seat on the couch and motioning from Caroline to sit down beside her.

"Really," Caroline said while looking her friend over as she took a seat. "It looks like someone beat you up."

"It feels like it," Elena laughed.

"What happen?"

"Well, some brut of a girl on the other side, came after me, the minute the game started," she said while leaning back on the couch. "It was supposed to be our last scrimmage and it was against our rival school, but she acted like it was our championship game," she said while picking up something from the floor that she had seen before throwing into the trash bag. "It was just after we all got back onto the field for the second part of the game and I went to kick the ball in and she came out of no where and collided with me. We ended up in a twisted mess. Her cleats slid right into my leg," said Elena while taking the ice bag off her leg and showing her friend, who gasped at the sight of the cleat imprint.

"That looks bad," Caroline said in a worried voice.

"It'll be fine, but my shoulder took the brunt of the fall, when I landed on the ground," she said while showing Caroline her bruised shoulder.

"Lena, are you sure your okay? Maybe you should have your dad look at this when he gets home."

"Yeah, Care…I am fine," Elena, laughed.

"How did you get that bruise?" Caroline asked while pointing to the bruise on the side of Elena's forehead.

"Soccer ball," Elena laughed more.

"What?" Caroline laughed.

"I'm not kidding," Elena laughed more. "I was so shocked by getting the wind knocked out of me, that after the game restarted, I wasn't prepared for when one of my teammates sent me a ball to head bump into the goal and it smacked me right in the face."

"Ouch!"

"You're telling me," Elena laughed again. "But I'm okay, but what are you doing here, pretty lady?"

"Aww thanks," Caroline said with a smile. "And I came to see if you would come see a movie with me at our little theatre."

"Which one are they playing this time?" She asked while standing and beginning to clean the house again.

"One of the pirate movies."

"I don't know Care," she said while throwing a beer bottle into the plastic trash bag she had.

"Please!" Caroline begged. "

"Care, I don't think so, not tonight."

"Please!" Caroline begged again.

"Care, I have this whole house to clean and then I have homework."

"You have tomorrow to finish it." She could see Caroline pouting at her as she turned around to look at her friend.

"I want my Sunday free for when my parents come back," she said while moving around the living, while picking things up. "I think they might be taking me and Jer out for brunch, because they said they weren't opening the shops tomorrow."

"So you're not going to church?"

"I don't know, depends on when mom and dad get home," she explained. "Anyway I have tons of work to do and I would just like to get the work done tonight, I'm sorry."

"What work do you have?"

"I have to watch a French film on the history of the French Revolution and then I have to write a five page paper on the culture and history showed in the film."

"Shouldn't you have watched that in class?"

"Should have, but because our coach called us out of class on Friday, I didn't get to watch it and my teacher just gave it me to watch this weekend and hand the paper in on Monday with the film."

"Sounds like fun," Caroline laughed.

"Yeah, I have that and then I have to finish my pre-calculus homework, along with finishing the artwork piece that is due Tuesday."

"That sucks, I only had English homework, which was finish reading Romeo and Juliet."

"Yep," Elena said while scrunching up her nose. "So I won't be able to go and anyway I'm sore and tired, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I can understand," Caroline said with a smile. "How about next week when your brother is back at school, why don't I come over and we can have girls night?"

"Sounds like a plan, you can come over Saturday night."

"Okay, well I probably should head home," Caroline, said before going to leave.

Elena moved over to where her friend was standing by the door, "hey, why not ask Stefan to go with you?"

"Can't, he's at his dad's this weekend."

"Then take Matt," Elena said while opening the door.

"Good idea," Caroline said with a laugh, before hugging her friend. "If I don't see you tomorrow, lets make plans for this week or something."

"I have student council meeting on Tuesday, along with soccer practice after. We're supposed to be getting ready for the spring formal, along with prom and graduation coming up. So the seniors are really antsy," Elena explained. "Also I should be going to my Le Cercle Francais club meeting, but I think I'll wait until next week when I just have a model united nations meeting."

"Damn, so I guess I'll just see you this weekend?"  
"Yeah," Elena said while trying to cheer her friend up. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I just miss hanging out with you is all," Caroline said while hugging her friend again. "Okay, I probably should go."

"See ya next weekend," Elena said while hugging her friend back.

As Caroline left, Elena watched her friend walk down the sidewalk and towards her house. She hated not being able to see her friends, but with the new school, came new things and new involvements. She was constantly chasing her tail during the week, what with all the clubs she was in and sports and then with her higher level of homework that she always had.

She went back to cleaning the house, which took longer than she had hoped. But she finally had the house looking spotless, and she finally took a seat on the couch, before setting up the TV downstairs to watch her hour-long movie, but the doorbell stopped her. She dropped her DVD case down on the couch and moved towards the door. She sighed loudly when she noticed Damon standing outside the door.

Opening the door quickly with a glare on her face, she said, "what do you want?"

"That's no way to greet someone."

"Your not just anyone, you're my brother's annoying friend," she said with a glare. "Now what do you want?"

"What happened to you?" He asked with concern in his voice when he got a good look at her, but quickly covered up his concern for her.

"None of your business, Damon. Now what do you want?"

"I came to see if your brother was here or not."

"He left a couple hours ago," she said while going to shut the door in his face, but he caught the door, while glaring at her.

"Now why are you treating me this way, I have been nothing but kind to you." Elena's eyes all but shot out of her head when Damon said.

She laughed while saying, "kind to me? Are you drunk?"

"Maybe, I did have a couple drinks before coming over here," Damon laughed. "But, I haven't done anything to you since I got here."

"Then why are you out driving? Are you asking for a death wish?" She asked while shaking her head, already knowing the answer. Damon wasn't the person she used to know. "And your definition of kindness, is different than mine," she hissed at him. "You've never been nice to me, I'm just the filth on yours shoes. Remember you're the one that told me that," she seethed at him. "My brother's not here anyway, Damon. So just please leave," she sighed.

"I think I'll stay," Damon said while pushing himself into the house, while knocking her out of the way.

"Damon!" She screeched. "What the hell do you think your doing?" She yelled at him. "My brother's at the party that your friends are throwing, shouldn't you also be there?"

"I'll go, but right now I want to visit with my most favorite person," he said while smirking at her as he took a seat on her couch. "It looks a lot better in here," he commented.

"Damon, get the hell out of my house," she sternly said to him while pointing to the door.

"I don't think I will," he laughed while reclining back on the couch. "What are you watching, anything naughty?" He laughed more while looking at the DVD case he had found on the couch.

"No I am not, it's for class. Now get out!" She yelled at him.

"Why are you always so angry with me, why can't we just have a normal conversation?"

"Because we aren't friends," she seethed. "You have no right to barge in here like you did, now please get the hell out!" She sternly said to him.

"So you going to tell me why you look like someone beat you up?" He asked while changing the subject.

"No," she huffed. " Now get out!" She said while walking over to the couch and grabbing his arm while pulling on him to get up, surprisingly he let her pull him off the couch and towards the front door.

"If you wanted to touch me, all you had to do was ask," he said while smirking down at her.

"Damon!" She hissed. "I wouldn't want to touch you with a ten foot poll, now get out!" She yelled while pushing him out the door and slamming the door in his face. She caught a glimpse of his face and she didn't like the look he had in his eyes, it was a look she hadn't seen before. The look he had given her was something unnerving and almost predator like. She locked the door quickly, before moving back to the couch to watch her movie.

* * *

The next morning, Elena woke up on the couch to the ringing of her cell phone. She sleepily rolled over onto her side and grabbed her phone off of the coffee table. She could see her mom's picture flashing across the screen, so she slowly picked up her phone.

"Hey!" She said in a sleepy voice.

"Did you just wake up?" She could her mom, Miranda ask.

"What time is it?" She asked while looking for a clock in their house.

"It's nine, I thought you had work at the shelter this morning?"

"No, I took the day off because I was figuring you guys would want to do something with Jer and me before he goes back."

"You shouldn't be taking days off," her mother warned and she just rolled her eyes. It wasn't like the animal clinic really paid much or needed much help.

"Do you know if your brother is up or not?"

"Probably not," she laughed while taking a seat back on the couch. "Why? What's wrong?" She asked quickly.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just me and your dad were figuring that you guys could meet us in Charleston for brunch or maybe lunch now that both of your are not up yet."

"Sorry," she said while shaking her head and rolling her eyes. One would think with the way her mother acted, that Elena never slept in late, which might actually be true. "What time, mom?" She said while standing and heading for her brother's bedroom.

"Let's say eleven or eleven thirty, just call us and let us know when you get into Charleston."

"Okay, I'll go wake Jeremy. See you soon, mom," she said while knocking on her brother's bedroom door, has she ended the phone call. No one answered, but she could hear loud music floating through the door, so she knew that her brother was just not answering her. "Jeremy," she shouted while pounding on her brother's bedroom door, but still no answer. Sighing, she opened her brother's door to find him sound asleep, huddled under all of his blankets

She shook her head at her brother as she turned off his blaring music, before walking over to his bed. Pulling back the blankets, she had to look away quickly because her brother was stripped stark naked and clinging to a naked women. Letting the blanket fall, she screamed while hitting her brother.

"Get up, JEREMY!" She screamed. "GET UP!" She shouted while she kept hitting him, while covering her face and looking over at the bedroom door.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SHOUTING AT?" Jeremy yelled while sitting up and grabbing his sister's hand, while letting the blanket pool around his waist and looking at his little sister. "What the hell is your malfunction?"

"Mom wanted me to wake you, we're supposed to be meeting them at a restaurant at eleven," she said while heading for the door and covering her eyes so she couldn't see anything. She was trying to get has far away from her brother as she could. "And can you not bring anyone over when mom and dad are gone," she shouted has she left the room.

"You shouldn't come barging into my room, baby sis," Jeremy yelled back as he threw something at the door, before he looked over at the girl in his bed. He couldn't even remember the dark haired girls name. It was something that started with an A, he was sure of that.

* * *

After getting dressed and forcing her brother out of the house and towards the docks, she stood at the railing on the ferry, watching the waves. She hugged her arms tighter around her as she looked over the railing and into the dark water. Jeremy was on the other side of the ferry, trying to stay as far away from his sister as he could.

Elena didn't have to wait long before the ferry was docking into Charleston. She made her way into the parking lot where some of the islanders kept their cars, because they didn't have permission or a pass to have a car on the island. She stood by her brother's old ugly Jeep while watching him walking towards her with a scowl on his face.

"Where are we supposed to be meeting them?" Jeremy grumbled while unlocking his Jeep.

"I have to call them and tell them were in Charleston," she said while dialing her mom's number.

"Lena," her mom said into the phone. "Are you guys in Charleston yet?"

"Yeah, at the docks."

"Okay good," her mom said in a cheerful voice. "Meet us at Jer's favorite food place."

"That seafood place," whined Elena.

"What did she say?" Jeremy asked and she shushed her brother while listening to her mother tell her to stop whining.

"We'll be there in ten minutes."

"Good, well meet you guys there," her mom said before hanging up on her.

"So where are we going?" Jeremy asked while pulling out of the parking lot.

"Your favorite place," she said while glaring at him has he began to smirk at her.

It didn't take them long before they were pulling into the parking lot of Jeremy's favorite restaurant. They had already spotted their parents waiting for them. Elena didn't wait for her brother to get out of the Jeep, before she was rushing over to her parents.

"Mom, dad!" Elena said happily as she hugged her parents.

"Lena, we haven't been gone that long," her father Grayson laughed while hugging his daughter.

"Where's your brother?" Miranda asked her daughter.

"I'm here mom," Jeremy said sweetly to his mother before hugging her. "She was too excited about seeing you guys, that she left me in the car," he laughed. Both of their parents laughed at Elena, before dragging their kids into the restaurant. It didn't take long before they were seated, and Elena wasn't too happy with having to sit beside her brother.

"Lena," Miranda said while looking down at her menu.

"Yeah?" Elena asked while looking up from her menu.

"How did your game go?" Miranda asked. Elena and Jeremy's mom was a beautiful forty-nine year woman with long wavy dark brown hair and green eyes.

"It went great, we won, but it was just a scrimmage."

"Hello, my name is Sandy and I will be your waitress," a young woman said as she came up to their table. "Are you guys ready to order?"

"I think so," Grayson said with a smile. Grayson was a very handsome man for his age (fifty) with his dark brown hair and eyes. Their children looked more like Grayson, except Katherine and Elena. Katherine looked more like Miranda, while Elena was a good mixture of her parents, just favoring more of her father's looks. Jeremy favored his father more than either of his sisters. "Are you guys ready?" He asked his family and when they all agreed, he turned around to look back at the waitress with a smile. "I think we're ready to order."

* * *

They had finally just pulled into their drive and Elena couldn't wait until she went to bed. After lunch, they had taken Jeremy to pick up a few things before he had to head back to campus. Has Elena made her way up steps and onto the porch; she found a small brown package sitting by the door. She slowly picked it up, trying to see whom it was for and who sent it. The only name on it was scribbled to say, "Elena."

"What's that, Lena?" Miranda asked her daughter while coming up behind her on the porch.

"I don't know," she said while showing her mom. "It has my name on it though."

"Lets take it in and see what it is," Miranda said while unlocking the door.

"Is dad getting the bags?" She asked while following her mom inside and into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Miranda said over her shoulder. "Now lets see what is in the mysterious package," she laughed while taking the brown little package from Elena, before opening it. What they found inside the box was a first aide kit, with ice bags and Epsom salt and a little note that said, 'Use these items to relax, I know you have to be in a little bit of pain from your game. Be more careful next time.'

"Odd," Elena said while looking through the box to see whom it was from, but she couldn't find anything.

"Elena?" Her mom asked worried, while looking up at her daughter.

"Yeah?" She asked while looking up at her mom.

"Did you get hurt during your game?" Her mother asked.

"I banged my shoulder and have a cleat imprint on my leg, but nothing else."

"You should have your father look at it and do you know who sent this?"

"Who sent what?" Grayson asked his wife and daughter has he came into the room.

"This," Miranda said while pointing to the small package. "Someone left it for Elena, it's like a little first aid kit of sorts."

"You don't know who sent it?" Grayson asked while looking through the package.

"No, they didn't leave their name," Elena said while looking down at the package again. "Maybe it's from Caroline, or maybe Jer left it." She knew Jeremy wouldn't have left it, they weren't close anymore.

"Could be," Grayson said before getting ready to leave the room. "I'm going to go unpack."

"Before you do, I think you need to check Elena's bruises out," Miranda said while getting milk out from the refrigerator.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, I hope you guys like this third chapter. Please let me know what you guys think of this story so far and if I should continue. Fourth Chapter will be up next Saturday or Sunday.**

 **TheFantasyRocker:** Thank you for your review. Nope, everyone is human in this story. Katherine was Elena's older sister, that will be discussed more throughout the story. She was very important to Elena. Keep reading and more things will be told!

 **TVDTVDTVD:** Thank you for your review. You guys will see the past, and find out what happened.

 **Dove:** Thank you for your review. Yes, Elena will have more tormentors.

 **jairem:** Thank you for your review. Katherine was her sister, but her older sister actually.

 **Guest One:** Thank you for your review. Yes, Jeremy is an ass. You'll find out what 'Snitch means.' You'll also find out what happen to Katherine, but I cannot tell you yet. Yes, Katherine is dead.

 **Cesy:** Thank you for your review.

 **Florayezi:** Thank you for your review. I am glad that you like that Jeremy is her older brother in this story.

 **Guest Two:** Thank you for your review. You'll find out what happened in their friendship, soon. Just keep reading. I'm not sure where Elena was acting childish, that be more Damon. Damon's the jerk in this story.


	4. Soccer Game

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Also a few changes, Damon is going to be sixteen. Bonnie is going to be sixteen, not seventeen.**************** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **I hope that clears everything up, sorry for the confusion.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Also, heads up, the chapter jumps around a little bit.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Next chapter will be up next Saturday.****************

* * *

 **March 12** **th** **2008 (Wednesday Morning)**

The room was dark and the wind blew through the open window beside the bed, making the young girl pull her blankets closer to her as she turned onto her side. The room was quiet, too quiet. When Elena heard a loud banging noise, her eyes flew open partly. She looked around the dark room as she laid in her bed, trying to let her eyes adjust to the darkness and just waking up. She couldn't see anything in her room as she sat up quickly and turned her lamp on. She looked around her room, trying to see if anything was out of place, but everything was where she had left it before she had went to bed. She sat there for a few minutes, feeling really confused because she could have sworn she heard a loud noise (like someone had ran into her desk).

She sat there for a few minutes while she tried to clear her head before she got up and closed her window, along with locking it in place. She looked out her window, noticing how dark the night sky was. She kept looking out her window, trying to see if she could see anything, but she could not find anything out of the norm. She finally gave up and went back to bed. This would be the third night that she had woken up, because she felt like someone was in her room, but tonight she had actually heard something. It was beginning to freak her out.

She laid in her bed wide awake for hours, until finally sleep over came her. The next morning when she woke up, she was beyond tired when her alarm went off at five-thirty. She drudged out of bed and began to put on her uniform and tiding up her room, before she made her way downstairs to find her mom making breakfast.

"Good morning baby girl," her mom said while giving her a kiss on the forehead when she took a seat at the kitchen table. "How did you sleep?" Elena just grumbled back before putting her head down on the table.

"What's wrong with her," her father Grayson asked as he came into the kitchen.

"I think she's tired," Miranda laughed while placing plates in front of her husband and daughter. Both Miranda and Grayson was an attractive couple for being older. Grayson was the town doctor/coroner on the island, while Miranda owned a little bookstore/ café. Both of Elena's parents didn't make much with their job, and it mostly went to bills for running both of the places and then anything Elena needed to get for school. They were not a poor family, but they were not a rich family either. Elena did not care either way, because she loved both of her parents.

"Didn't you get enough sleep?" Grayson asked while taking a bite of his food.

"No," she whined. "I went to bed at the same time I normally do," she said while taking a bite of her food. "But I woke up again, something keeps waking me up at."

"Elena, there is nothing in your room," Miranda said while ruffling her daughters hair as she took a seat at the table.

"I know that, mom," she sighed.

"You better eat your food or we are going to be late," her mother said with a smile.

* * *

Elena took a seat in her European history class, which was the second to her last class of the day. She had gym next and she wasn't looking forward to it. They were learning about the royal family in England during the 1500's. Halfway through the class, her head hit the desk and she jumped up, making her other classmates give her weird looks.

"Miss Gilbert, are you done sleeping?" Her European history teacher asked with stern look. Her European history teacher was an older, stern woman that had been teaching for a long time. Elena looked at her fellow classmates and then back at her teacher. She didn't even know she had been sleeping.

She whispered, "I'm sorry.

"If you're done sleeping, I would like to continue my lesson. You might want to get notes from one of your fellow classmates, after class," Mrs. Dawson sternly said before going back to writing something on the board. Elena blushed and looked down at her desk. She had never fallen asleep in one of her classes. Elena quickly began to write down everything the teacher said.

"Don't worry, it's happens to everyone once in their life," the new boy sitting beside her whispered with a smile.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Your welcome," he smiled back at her. He was cute with dark brown eyes and short black hair. "I'm Tyler," he whispered.

"Elena," she whispered back. Her cheeks were beginning to blush again when he smiled at her.

"You can borrow my notes." She nodded her head before smiling at him and going back to writing down her notes.

It didn't take long before the bell was ringing and Elena was putting her stuff back into her bag and heading for the door, but she stopped and turned around when the new boy called out to her. She tried not to blush when she looked over at the new boy coming towards her. She couldn't help but blush when he smiled at her again. Even in his school uniform she could tell that he was physically fit and good looking.

"So when would you like for me to give you those notes?"

"After school if that is fine and I can get them back to you tomorrow before class."

"Sounds like a plan," he said with a smile. "I get to see you again."

"Do you say that to every girl?" She laughed.

"Only the pretty ones," he said with a grin on his face. "So as you can tell I'm new here, any suggestions on how to make it through school here."

"Just don't be caught sleeping," she laughed while making her way out of the room, with the new boy following behind her.

"I'll remember that," he laughed. "My name's Tyler Lockwood," he said with a smile. "If you didn't catch it before."

"I did," she said with a smile. "It's Elena Gilbert and did you say Lockwood?"

"Yeah, why?" He asked while following her to her locker.

"I just know a Lockwood from where I am from," she explained while opening her locker.

"Really, and where are you from?"

"Point Beach Island," she said while closing her locker while turning to face him with a smile on her face.

"That's funny," he said with a grin." I have family from there, my cousin should have already graduated, but his name was Mason."

"Now that is funny," she laughed. "And a small world too, because my brother's best friend is a Mason Lockwood."

"Really!" He smiled. "Must be a small world."

"Yeah," she laughed more. "So what class do you have next, because I need to get my gym class?" she laughed again.

"Actually have literary analysis, you wouldn't know where a Mrs. Jones's classroom would be?" He asked with a smirk as he looked up from his schedule.

"That would be down that way, at the end of this hallway on the left, while I am going this way," she said while pointing out the directions. "Just meet me here at my locker after class and it was nice meeting you," she called out over her shoulder before rushing to her gym class before the bell rang.

* * *

She was slow during practice and her coach wasn't letting her get away with it. She felt like she was just going to fall asleep where she was standing.

"Gilbert!" Her coach yelled at her. Her coach was a tall thirty something year old man with a crew cut, who was muscular but lean. Elena knew that her coach had been on a professional team back in his twenties before he had gotten hurt. "You better get your act together or your not playing in the game Saturday."

"I will coach," she yelled back while she chased after the ball that had just went passed her. Catching the ball, she preceded to run it up the field, heading for the goal.

"What's wrong with you today?" Taylor asked. "Where's your head at?" Her captain yelled shouted at her as she ran pass.

"I'm just a little off my game," she shouted back before kicking the soccer ball towards Lauren Menlo (one of her teammates), who passed the ball to another teammate.

"Off your game," Taylor shouted more. "I would say so. If this had been a real game, you would have just gave the other team our ball," Taylor growled. Elena looked to whom she had kicked the ball to and wanted to scream when she saw the 'other team' winning. Their coach had paired them off and onto other teams, a little scrimmage match of sorts.

"Crap," she shouted.

"Girls come this way," Coach Bennson yelled while motioning for them to come over to him.

"You okay, Lena?" Bonnie whispered to her as they made their way over to where their coach was standing.

"Tired," she whispered back. "I'll be fine Saturday," she whispered with a sigh as she got a few nasty looks from some of her teammates. Some of her teammates did not like her, because she was one of the younger teammates and also their starting center forward.

"Now girls," their coach started. "Our game Friday is against a team we beat last year, but that doesn't not mean we go easy. So tomorrow and Friday's practices will be longer. I really want to make sure that we are at the top of our game Saturday."

"But coach," Lindsay Wright whined. "But what about the boy's varsity soccer game?"

"It's at home, correct?" Coach Bennson asked.

"Yes, but most of us like to go home and change."

"You still can," Coach Bennson said while shaking his head. Elena watched has Lindsay Wright went to say something else. "You keep complaining I will make the practices longer." That shut Lindsay right up and Elena had to look away before she began to laugh.

"So you coming to the soccer game after practice?" Bonnie whispered, drowning out their coach.

"No, I don't think so," she whispered back.

"Oh come on Lena, it will be fun!"

"We have a game Saturday morning and then I have to work at dad's office for a few hours," she said while looking over at her friend. "And I'm just too tired this week to even think about going to a game."

"You need to enjoy some school activities," Bonnie said with a smile.

"I do," Elena whispered back.

"Yeah, the ones that make you do things," Bonnie laughed. "You need to do school activities like a good old soccer game,"

"I go to football and basketball games."

"You're in cheerleading, that doesn't count," Bonnie snorted. "If you can't come Friday, come next Friday and you can stay at my house and we can go to our game on Saturday!"

"I'll think about it and I'll ask my parents," Elena said with a smile.

"Yay!" Bonnie said a little too loudly.

"Girls, if you're done talking, I would like to finish my speech," Coach Bennson said with a stern look towards the girls.

"Sorry," both Bonnie and Elena said while trying not to giggle as they looked down at their feet.

* * *

 **March 13** **th** **2008 (Friday Morning)**

 **Point Beach Island, South Carolina**

The rest of the week went as the beginning of the week had rolled in. A little bit of a breeze blew through the open window, stirring Elena awake, has the wind danced along her bare skin. She slowly opened her eyes, cursing her alarm for going off. She felt like she had just fallen asleep. She laid there for a few minutes, trying to come up with an excuse to stay home. Nothing came to mind, because she knew that her history teacher was going to give them a test today and she had a game tomorrow. Number one rule, if you skip school the day before a game, you don't get to play.

She slowly got up, dressing quickly and clipping her necklace in place. She touched the two rings that were placed on the sliver chain, before looking into the mirror. One of the rings was beautiful for being a class ring. The class ring had been her sister's; her parents didn't know she had the ring. Her parents thought the ring was lost the night that Katherine passed away and Elena wasn't going to tell them that Katherine had given her the ring before the accident had happened. The ring had an alexandrite for the stone in a marquise cut, with four diamonds (two on each side of the stone). Her sister's name was across one side of the band, while MHS 2002 was across the other side of the band. She looked at the class ring before dropping it and picking up the other ring, that was also a class ring. She personally hated this ring to a point, because it laughed at her. It laughed at her because of how she wished for the past and the past was long gone. She dropped the ring like it had burned her, before looking back into the mirror. Looking into mirror, she began to fix her tie, before throwing her books and folders into her bookbag.

"Elena!" Her mother hollered up the steps.

"Coming," she called back down before shutting her door and rushing down the steps.

"Did you sleep in?" Her mom asked while her a bagel and cup of coffee. She took a long sip of her coffee with a grin on her face.

"Thank you," she said in between taking sips of her coffee. "The liquid of the gods," she laughed before taking another drink. Miranda just shook her head at her daughter before turning around to pour her own coffee.

"Do you have a long day again?" Miranda asked her daughter while turning back around with her own cup of coffee in her hands.

"Yeah, another long practice," Elena, said while munching on her bagel. "I think coach is trying to kill us," she laughed. "But never less I have to go," she said while taking another drink from her coffee. "So where's dad?"

"Sleeping in," Miranda said while putting her coffee down and picking up another cup of coffee. "Must be something in the air this morning," she laughed while beginning to head out of kitchen. "I actually need to wake him, meet me out at the car." She watched her mom disappear out of the kitchen, before picking up her bags and coffee, and heading outside.

Standing beside her parent's old beat-up car, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been her room last night. She tried to tell her parents, but they just laughed it off. Her mom kept telling her same thing, that there was nothing bad that could happen on the island. Elena knew that statement was far from the being true. Peaking out into the darkness, 'oh how she hated the darkness.' Things went wrong when it was dark outside or even when the lights went out.

"Your dad's not feeling well." At the sound of her mother's voice, she about jumped of her own skin. Her coffee splashed onto the ground and she cursed while staring down at the wet ground.

"Lena, are you okay?" Her mom asked. She looked up to face her mom, while nodding her head that she was okay.

"Yeah, of course," she lied.

* * *

After practice and after her homework was finished, she was sitting on her bed looking at her window. Something about the closed window reminded her of that morning and how her window had been opened. It didn't faze her then, but it peaked her interest now, because she remembered closing it before she had gone to bed. It sent shivers down her spine at the thought.

"You getting ready for bed, sweetie?" She heard her mom ask from the doorway. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at her mom.

"Yeah, about to," she said while beginning to stand up.

"Okay, night honey!" Her mom said before going to turn around to leave.

"Mom!" She said quickly and a little too loudly too. Her mom turned around with a raised eyebrow and a worried look upon her face.

"Lena?" Miranda questioned, concern laced in voice. Miranda could see hints of black circles under daughter's eyes. She could tell that Elena wanted to say something, to tell her something, but was afraid to. "Lena, what's wrong?" Miranda asked while coming into the room and closer to her daughter. "Honey wants wrong?" She asked again. "Is everything okay? You know nothing is in this room and there is nothing coming into your room at night."

"Mom," she squeaked. "Can you sleep in here tonight? I need to be well rested for my game tomorrow and I haven't been able to sleep these last few nights."

"Lena," her mother said slowly. "Your father's not feeling well."

"Mom!" Elena begged. "Please, coach will bench me if I don't play my best tomorrow…it can be like a girls night." She watched her mom study her for a few minutes before walking back towards the doorway.

"Okay, Lena," Miranda said with a smile when she turned her head to look back at her daughter. "I'll go tell your father and then I'll be back."

"Thank you, mommy," Elena called out excitedly to her mom who was already gone down the stairs, before slipping into between her sheets.

* * *

Elena was full of energy and well rested that morning has she chased after the ball, until something caught her eye. She stared at the person standing beside the stands, in his black leather jacket and dark jeans. She let out a gasp at the seeing him at her school, smiling at her. Before she knew it, she was flat on her back and staring up at the sky. She could hear people rushing towards her and voices all around her.

"Gilbert?" Her coach barked. "You okay?" While blinking her eyes, she tried to sit up.

"Easy…you took a pretty good hit with the soccer ball to your face," Bonnie said while kneeling down beside her and handing her an old rag. Elena looked back at her with a confused look and then back at the rag. "Your nose is bleeding," Bonnie explained. Elena reached up to touch her nose that was beginning to swell and sure enough, she was bleeding. She took the rag from Bonnie and smiled at her when she pressed the rag against her nose while holding her head back.

"If you can stand Gilbert…your out…and Morgan your in," Coach Bennson barked out orders before slowly helping Elena stand up. Her coach insisted that he needed to help her across the field and towards their side of the field. The rest of her team side on the field has the game started up again and their assistant coach took over.

She held the rag to her face has she walked. She could see her mom in the stands looking worried. She tried to smile up at her mom, trying to let her know that she was okay. Her father could not make it, and in this moment it made her miss him.

She took a seat on the bench beside her stuff, after her coach gave her an ice bag. She placed the ice bag against her swollen nose. She had a slight headache starting and she was having difficulty breathing through her nose.

"Sorry coach," Elena whispered.

"We all have off days, Elena," her coach said with a small smile, which surprised her. "You should be fine," her coach said while taking a look at her nose.

"Coach Bennson," a tall slender, older man said while coming towards them.

"Dr. Kinsmen…didn't know you would be at the game," said Coach Bennson while standing and shaking the other man's hand. "I think she'll be okay," he said while pointing down at Elena who held the ice bag to her nose. "Elena this is, Dr. Kinsmen…he's a sports doctor," Coach Bennson explained. "His daughter is on the team."

"Hello, Miss –"

"Gilbert," Elena replied.

"Miss Gilbert," Dr. Kinsmen said while taking the seat where Coach Bennson had been sitting. "Let's have a look at your nose," he said with a kind smile. Elena removed the ice bag from her face and let the doctor look at it. "Well its not crooked or misshapen and looks like it was bleeding?"

"It was," said Elena quietly.

"Does it hurt to touch your nose?"

"Yeah a little bit."

"Breathing?" Dr. Kinsmen asked while looking at her nose a little more closely.

"Just when I try to breathe through my nose, nothing else."

"Okay," Dr. Kinsmen said while taking note of the bruising around Elena's nose and eyes, and the swelling too. "There's going to be bruising and swelling, but from the looks of it, you have a minor fracture."

"Fracture," squeaked Elena.

"Nothing to be worried about," Dr. Kinsmen said with a smile. "I won't have to do anything, because it's not crooked or misshapen. So keep the ice on it and have your parents pick you up some over the counter pain medication on the way home and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Dr. Kinsman," Coach Bennson said with a smile. "Your out for the rest of the game, Elena." She just nodded her head.

"Thank you," she said told Dr. Kinsman who smiled back at her.

"Your welcome dear, I just worried that you might have taken a harder hit from the way it looked up in the stands.

"Elena!" She could hear her mother's voice laced with concern, coming towards her. She turned to look up at her mom who looked worried as she quickly came over to where she was sitting.

"Mrs. Gilbert -" Coach Bennson said with a smile.

"Mom I'm fine!" Elena said quickly, cutting her coach off.

"I'm Dr. Kinsman, a sports doctor. My daughter is actually on the team too and I checked her nose out-" Elena began to ignore the conversation and she began to try to look around at all the people in the stands, but she could not find him. It was almost like she had imaged him, which she knew that she didn't do that. Sitting there, trying to watch the rest game was hard. Her mind couldn't shake the feeling that Damon had been at her game and if he had, she wanted to know why.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, thank you guys. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the next chapter will explain why Elena is going to Victoria Academy now, but not what started everything.**

 **Also, what do you guys think of Tyler showing up at her school. I can tell you this, it will be very interesting when Damon finds out. Do you think that Elena is seeing things, or did Damon really show up to her game?**

 **My readers of His Mate, that chapter will be up later sometime today. **

**Sorrybout'ya:** Thank you for your reviews. Taylor and Grace, they figured knew what she was talking about. They're not really Elena's good friends, just friends. The reason she didn't say anything to Damon calling her 'Snitch' is because she has heard it been used so many times, that now she just lets roll off her shoulders. I can tell you that she hates the nickname. I will tell you that it is bullying. Yes, the accident Katherine was in, was six years ago. Katherine was the oldest Gilbert child. Jeremy is like the spitting image of his dad, while Katherine looked just like her mom and Elena is a good mixture between both of her parents, favoring more towards her father's side. Yes, Caroline is Elena's best friend. Do they have feelings of being more than just friends? Yes, Damon isn't too nice and with what he said, he was just being mean (plain and simple). Did Elena screw things up? What happened between Damon and Elena, happened during the summer before Freshman year and just followed into Freshman year. Elena transfered over to Victoria Academy during the spring semester of her Freshman year. Did Damon leave the first aid kit, time will only tell.

 **Florayezi:** Thank you for your review. I am glad that you found that scene funny. Was it Anna? Damon is always possessive of Elena.

 **Jairem:** Thank you for your review. I will be navigating their romance very slowly, because it's not a fairy tale story. Damon's not a psycho, he's just very attached to Elena, but that will be explained in later chapters.

 **Cesy:** Thank you for your review. Everything will be told soon, but not too soon. I want to keep you guys guessing for a few chapters. It's makes it more interesting.

 **Damon-Elena-Fever:** Thank you for your review. Yes, Damon is an asshole. But does he care for her. Yes, he's possessive of her and very attached to her, but does he care for her like he used to? That's the big question and I only know this, but I promise it will come out in later chapters.

 **Tvd2014:** Thank you for your review. I am glad that you like this story, thank you. I will tell you that what happened to Katherine is sad.

 **mylove4klaus:** Thank you for your review.

 **tottyo7:** Thank you for your review. I'm glad that you love the story. Did Damon send the first aid kit?

 **dove:** Thank you for your review. I'm not sure if the show will be good without her, I know I am going to miss the character dearly. The whole show was supposed to be based around her and her life, so I don't know. I will be watching it, because of Damon. Now if Damon dies off, I won't watch it anymore. There is speculation that Ian is wanting out of the show, so I don't know. Let's hope not. I just hope that they don't put Damon and Bonnie together, I'm only Delena fan. In the book, Bonnie couldn't stand Damon, until the later in the books, but the again the original writer didn't finish the series. So you never know.


	5. Girls Night!

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Also a few changes, I hope this fixes everything and makes sense.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Damon: 16 yrs old - junior year****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Elena: 16 yrs old - junior year****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Bonnie - 18 yrs old - senior year****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Caroline: 16 yrs old - junior year****************

 **Also, Elena's father is not only the town/island doctor, but he is also the town/island corner.**

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Also, heads up, the chapter deals with bulling.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Next chapter will be up November 28th.****************

* * *

 **Saturday Afternoon**

Elena pushed her glasses down to the tip of her nose as she looked at the computer screen, scanning through her father's files for a certain patient file. Her father was back in his office looking over the billing. The office was closed for the weekend and she loved these moments of complete silence.

"Elena," her father called from down the hallway in his little office.

"Yeah?" She called back while turning around to look down the empty hallway.

"Did you find that file?"

"Yeah," she said while clicking on something and e-mailing the file to her father's e-mail account. "Sent it you to," she said while standing and heading back to her father's office. She stopped in the doorway to watch her father hard at work. It brought a smile upon her face. "Hey, dad?" She asked while leaning on the doorframe. Her father looked up at her with a smile, his own reading glasses slipping down his nose. "Do you want me to get you something to eat, I'm about to leave. Meeting Caroline down by the lighthouse."

"No, I'll be fine," her dad said with a smile. "Go have fun."

"I'll try," she laughed. "See you later."

Her father called out, "how's your nose?" She turned around to face her father again with a light smile.

She laughed while saying, "it's seen better days." She touched her nose barely and winced. "It hurts to touch, but the meds are helping."

"Remember you'll need to take two more before you head to bed."

"I'll remember," she said before turning to leave. "I'm going to go or Caroline will be upset that I'm late," she laughed.

"Have fun and be safe," Grayson called out before looking back down at his billings.

"I will," she called over her shoulder while heading into the waiting room and clicking off the computer and grabbing her purse.

She made her way down the side of the street, before crossing to the other side of the street, where her mom's shop was located. The familiar sound of bells jingling could be heard as she opened the door to her mom's little café.

"Elena!" Sydney Clark exclaimed from where she was standing behind the counter. Sydney was one of her mom's workers and in her mid twenties. Sydney was also one of Katherine's old friends.

"Hey," she said while coming further into the store. The café was busy and she could see a lot of the same people who visited the café on Saturdays.

"Your mom said you got hit," Sydney said while staring at Elena's nose. "But she didn't say it was that bad."

"Yeah," Elena laughed while touching her nose before wincing.

"Does it hurt?"

"Only when I touch it, but dad's got me on some good pain meds," she laughed.

"You and Katherine couldn't be more the same if you tried," Sydney laughed. "She was always getting hurt too."

"I remember," Elena said with a smile. "Hey, is my mom in?"

"Yeah, in the back."

"Thanks," she said while heading into the back area, where her mom's office was, along with a small kitchen and then a staff lounge. "Mom?" She called out as she looked into the rooms.

"Back here, Elena." She could hear her mom's voice coming from the small kitchen area. She found her mom rolling out dough.

"What do you need?" Her mom asked, without looking up. "Everything okay? Does your dad want his lunch? And why are you wearing those?" She asked her daughter while looking at Elena's glasses.

"No, I came to get mine and Caroline's coffees, before heading out to meet her," Elena explained. "And my right eye was scratched a little bit when I was hit with the soccer ball…so I'm wearing my glasses, which is making my nose hurt."

"Your silly," her mom laughed. "And Sydney's is going to have to make them."

"Come on," Elena whined. "We both know your coffee is so much better."

"I'm busy, Lena."

"What are making?" She asked while watching her mom roll out the dough.

"Trying out a new recipe for cinnamon rolls. These will have almonds in."

"Bring some of those home with you," she said with a grin before heading for the doorway. "You sure you can't make two coffees?" She asked sweetly while turning around to face her mom.

"Elena!" Her mom warned. "I'm busy."

"But," she pouted.

"Go have Sydney make them."

"Mom," Elena sweetly said while pouting more as she danced over to her mom. She placed her chin on her mom's shoulder while hugging her mom, before saying, "I got hurt today."

"Your still alive," Miranda said while trying not to laugh as she rolled out more dough.

"Mommy, please!" Elena pouted as she pulled back to look at her mom. "It'll make my nose feel better."

"Lena," Miranda laughed.

"Yes, mommy!" Elena said with a grin while laughing at her mom, who was trying to give her a stern look.

"Fine," Miranda sighed while dusting the flour off her hands.

"Thank you!" Elena said with a grin on her face. Before she knew it, she had to duck because her mom threw a washrag at her. "Mom!" Elena laughed.

"Come on."

* * *

Elena waited by the entrance when something caught her eye on the posting board her mom had in the café section of the small shop. She took a closer look at the flyer and it felt like all the air had been knocked out of her. The flyer was for 'The Founder's Day festival.' She stared at the flyer has images flashed through her mind of another festival. She grabbed a hold of the ring on her ring on her necklace and ripped it from her neck as though it had burned her. She stared down at the ring that she hated with a passion, before clamping her hand around the offending object. The cold metal dug into her skin has more images flashed through her mind.

She could still hear, still smell and still see and feel everything that she had been trying to hide from. She could smell hay; pumpkins and she could hear the sound of boots hitting concrete. It brought it all back.

"Elena?" Miranda questioned her daughter who was staring at a flyer on the posting board. Miranda moved over to where her daughter was standing, to see that she was trembling. "Elena, dear?" Miranda asked with worry.

"Yeah," Elena said quickly while looking over at her mom who was standing beside her, holding her two coffees. "Thank you," she said while taking the two coffees from her mom.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Elena lied while biting her lip.

"You were spacing out. You seemed to be in a daze," Miranda said with concern in her voice. "You were trembling too. What is wrong?"

"Nothing, too many things on my mind as of late," she lied. "And I was just looking at this. I forgot it was coming up," she said while pointing to the flyer, trying to act surprised.

"Founder's Day Festival?" Miranda asked slowly and Elena just nodded her head. "How did you forget?

"Been busy."

"Elena! Your family helped found this island," Miranda scolded. "I'm surprised you would forget something like that, seeing has though you love the festivals that Island Council puts on."

Elena quickly said, "I've been busy, so sue me." She bit her lip more when she noticed that her mom didn't find what she said to be funny. "Sorry," she whispered. "I've just been busy, mom."

"Are you going to help me this time?"

"I…I, I don't know," Elena said quickly. "Like I said, I'm super busy. I am really busy with soccer and student council; we are trying to get ready for prom and graduation. Which I can't believe is coming up, I don't even have a dress yet," Elena rattled off. "And then I also have model United Nations. Which I also have this big conference coming up, over the country I have been researching."

"Lena," her mom sighed. "Maybe you're taking too many things on."

Elena said while sighing, "I get it all done, I just forgot one thing."

"Elena, this festival means a lot to me. It's apart of who I am, and who you are," Miranda said while pointing between her and her daughter.

"Mom, it's just your family heritage. Dad didn't even grow up on the island, so I don't see why me forgetting it, is that big of a deal," Elena snapped.

"Elena Marie," Miranda scolded. "My family history is your family history. Which means you should be proud to celebrate this festival of the island's founding," Miranda said while shaking her head at her daughter.

"Sorry mom," she whispered. "I've been super busy, my mind is thinking of fifty different things that have to happen soon."

"Lena," Miranda sighed while taking her daughter's hand. "Maybe next year, you shouldn't take so many things on. You need to start being a kid again."

"That's why I'm going to spend time with Caroline!" She said with a smile. "Which I'm probably late for," she laughed.

"Get going," Miranda laughed. "Have fun sweetie," she called out to her daughter who was leaving the shop. "Be careful."

"I will," Elena called over her shoulder. "I am sorry mom, for snapping at you," she said while turning around to face her mom in the entrance way."

"I'll let it slide, since you got knocked with the soccer ball today," Miranda said with a grin.

Elena smiled back while saying, "thank you," before walking out of the shop. She headed across the street, carrying the coffee cups in her hand.

She looked down at something on the ground, studying the brick walkways. Her glasses slipped right off her face before she noticed and crashed to the ground. Kneeling down, she went to pick up the glasses when she felt someone bump into her. She fell back on her butt, dropping one of the coffees. The moment her butt hit the ground, she looked up quickly to see Adrianna Mills stepping on her glasses. She watched has Adrianna smiled up at Damon who was too busy to notice her on the ground. Something in her filled with rage.

Standing up quickly, she shouted, "Hey!" That got about everyone's attention that was out shopping, but the two people she wanted. "Aren't you going to apologies?" She yelled. "I know you can hear me, Adrianna," she shouted. That got their attention quickly, and both Damon and Adrianna were turning around to face her. Her heart thudded against her ribcage when she glared back at them.

"What do you want?" Adrianna hissed as she started walking towards Elena. Adrianna Mills was one of the pretty, popular senior girls at her old school. Adrianna had fiery red hair, with big blue eyes and pale skin. "You wouldn't be talking to me, would you?"

"You pushed me and then stepped on my glasses," Elena said in a raised voice. "The least you could do is apologies…maybe even pay for a new pair."

"Did I step on them?" Adrianna laughed. "I didn't see you there."

"Bullshit," Elena hissed as she stepped closer to Adrianna. "You saw me."

"I find it funny that –"

"What do you find so funny?" Elena growled while cutting her off.

"That you, a traitor, a snitch," Adrianna taunted. "That you find it okay to speak. No one cares what you have to say, not when you traded her friends in. You need to learn to just keep your mouth shut."

"Your funny?" Elena laughed. "Now that is laughable…NO ONE…and I mean no one tells me to shut up," She hissed as she looked over at Damon as he watched the interaction between the two girls. "Maybe you should get your dog back on her leash," she growled at him.

"Maybe you should get back inside. It's not Halloween and your mask is going to scare all the little kids," Adrianna taunted.

"Adrianna," Damon snapped as he glared at the red head. "Go on, I'll meet you at the shop."

"Good, I want to show you my dress. Prom's going to be amazing," Adrianna, grinned. "Don't take too long, but make her pay for being mean to me," Adrianna said while smirking over at Elena, who was now glaring back at the girl. Elena's heart was pounding in her chest at the mention of prom. Her and Damon had always planned to go together, or more like Damon had planned that they would. Things were different now, and it took a lot for Elena to get used to them.

"Go," Damon said while smiling at Adrianna. "I won't be long." Elena watched as Adrianna left, which she shouldn't have been. She should have been watching Damon the whole time, because he was now standing in front of her.

"What do you want, Damon?" Elena asked while looking down at her feet.

"She's right about one thing," Damon said softly, which surprised Elena. "You do need to get inside, you look like hell."

With venom in her voice, she said, "jee thanks."

"Lena," he tried to say, but she glared at him more. "Let me pay for something."

"You don't get the right to call me that anymore and I'll be fine, at least I am only nearsighted and not totally blind," she hissed. "Just so you know, your little girlfriend," she said in a raised voice. "Has been with the whole basketball team. She knows how to get around," she said while glaring at him. "I do believe she has been with your best friend too. Along with from what I saw in her charts in daddy's office…you might not want to sleep with her…she has one of those-" Elena quickly shut up, when she felt him grab her by the wrist and began to squeeze her wrist tightly. "You're hurting me!"

"Like you wanted to do to me," Damon hissed while moving so his body was now completely in front of hers and that there was no space between them. "Or maybe you wanted to hurt Adrianna?"

"Let go of me," she hissed back.

"Your not the girl I thought you were," Damon growled.

"What's that supposed to mean," she growled.

"The girl I knew would never tell other peoples secrets to everyone else. Spread lies, but then again you did snitch when I told you to keep your mouth shut."

"You're protecting her?" Elena growled. "She broke my glasses and made me spill my coffee and your protecting her," she stuttered.

"That's where you have it wrong, mia stella," Damon whispered into her ear as he leaned closer to her.

"Then enlighten me," she hissed. "Actually, just let go of me," she growled while trying to pull out of his grasp, but he tightened his hold on her wrist. "You're hurting me!" She hissed in pain.

"I'm hurting you? How about you hurting me," he hissed into her ear and she tried to pull way from him, but he wouldn't let her.

"Damon, Elena?" They both heard Sheriff Forbes saying as she came near them. Damon loosened his hold on Elena's wrist as they looked over at the sheriff.

"Sheriff Forbes?" Elena said with a smile. "I'm about to go see Caroline."

"I know," Sheriff Forbes said with a smile. "She's really excited. I just saw her heading down to the lighthouse."

"Then I should probably head that way," she said while yanking her wrist from Damon grasp as she stared at Caroline's mom.

"Is everything okay here?" Sheriff Forbes asked while looking between Damon and Elena with concern.

"I was just helping Elena up. She had fallen down," Damon said quickly while wrapping an arm around Elena. "Right, Lena…I was just helping you up?"

"Yeah," Elena lied while trying to smile. "Yep…everything's perfect, no problems," Elena lied more, not wanting to cause a scene.

"I'm glad to see you two being friends again," Sheriff Forbes said with a smile. "Well I better run, but tell Caroline that if she decides to come home…that I won't be home night."

"I will," Elena called out while watching Caroline's mom quickly make her way into the sheriff station. She threw Damon's arm off of her, while glaring at him. "Don't you ever touch me again!"

"Me and you both know that you like touching me," Damon laughed. "It's you, that needs to keep your hands to yourself…not me," he said with a smirk.

"Whatever," she yelled before spinning on her hells and rushing down the sidewalk, trying to keep from spilling Caroline's coffee in her hand.

* * *

Elena hurried down the jagged rocks, looking for Caroline. She finally spotted her good friend sitting on one of the large rock out cropping around the lighthouse. Moors Lighthouse was over a hundred years old and very precious to the island. Elena remembered the carnival a couple years back that the island council had planned in hope of getting donations to save the crumpling lighthouse.

She paused for a second, listening to the waves crashing into the rocks that made up the shoreline. She looked up at the lighthouse and a small smile appeared abound her face at the thought of two kids no older than eight years old. It had been raining that summer evening; she could still feel the rain drops on her skin as though it was raining. She could hear the thunder rolling in. She could see the young boy and girl, and how the boy chased after the little girl. Biting her lip, she watched as the young girl slipped on the wet rocks and how the young boy ran to her aide. She watched as the little girl looked up at the boy, with tears in her eyes and how the young boy reached down to help her up. She watched has the young boy promise to always to protect to the little girl, never letting anything hurt her.

"Elena!" Caroline called out to her, waking Elena from her thoughts. A frown appeared on her face at the thought that the promise had never been kept. She hated remembering and she had been doing that a lot lately.

"You okay, Lena?" She could hear Caroline, as she got closer to her friend.

"Yeah," Elena said with a smile as she looked up to face a bubbly Caroline. "Here," she said while handing the cup of coffee to Caroline as she got closer to where Caroline was standing.

"Thanks," Caroline said with a smile before taking a sip of her ice mocha. "You sure your okay?" Caroline asked while she reached down for Elena's hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered.

"You know you can talk to me if you want…I'm always here," Caroline said with a large smile. "So where's yours at?"

"I dropped it, long story," she mumbled. She just wanted a nice girls night with her best friend, without talking about Damon or his stupid friends. She wanted to forget about the altercation earlier and just wanted have a fun night. She hadn't been able to see Caroline really since her Christmas vacation. She had been too busy for anything, but her homework, soccer and her many school activities.

"Long story? Do tell more," Caroline smirked.

"Yeah," mumbled Elena while leaning back on her hands, looking out at the dark water.

"So?"

"So?" Elena said back with a laugh.

"Your no fun," laughed Caroline, "so…why did you drop it?"

"I didn't actually mean to," she huffed. "I bumped into Damon and his girlfriend."

"Adrianna?" Caroline asked and Elena nodded, which made Caroline shake her head. "She's a real bitch that one."

"Yeah," snorted Elena, while trying not to laugh at Caroline for cussing.

"So you bumped into them or did they bump into you?"

"We bumped into each other, because I wasn't looking." She paused when she saw Caroline giving her a look that said, 'I don't believe a word your saying'. "It's true," she stressed, "my glasses fell off my nose and broke. I was too busy looking down at them, and I ran smack into them, dropping my coffee." She was afraid to tell Caroline the truth, because she knew how much Caroline hated Damon and wanted him to get in trouble. Elena agreed that Damon deserved into get in trouble, but there was more to it, than just telling on Damon. Caroline wasn't quiet about her feelings towards Damon and how she should tell her mom.

"Elena? Earth to Elena," Caroline said while waving her hand in front of Elena's face. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I told you everything. It was because my glasses fell off my face."

"Your glasses broke?"

"Yeah," Elena sighed while thinking of her broken glasses.

"That's not good."

"No…not really, because they were expensive and…mom and dad won't be happy."

"At least you got your contacts."

"Yeah, but I can't wear them right now. I scratched my right eye when the ball hit me in the face."

"How did that happen again?" Caroline asked with a smirk, which made Elena stick her tongue out at her.

"Shut up," Elena laughed. "One of my teammates sent it for me to head bump into the goal, but I was not paying attention."

"Why? Shouldn't you have been paying attention?"

"I should have been," sighed Elena, "but my mind as been elsewhere. Haven't been sleeping, which reminds me-"

"Reminds you of what?" Caroline asked while cutting her off.

"Your mom stopped me, after seeing me and Damon talking-"

" Wait. WHAT?" Caroline asked in a raised voice.

"He was helping me up, which pissed Adrianna off."

"Serves her right, but why would he date someone like her?"

"I don't know and don't care," she sighed. "But your mom told me to tell you that, she wouldn't be home if you came home tonight."

"Why would I do that?" Caroline asked, more asking herself than anyone else. "Dad's at a boat show in Florida this weekend."

"I don't know."

"Mmh," hummed Caroline. "I thought she knew that I was staying with you and meeting her tomorrow for church."

"Actually could we stay at yours?" Elena asked.

"Why? Your house is better."

"Because for the past week I haven't been able to sleep. I feel like someone or something is coming into my room at night."

"What? Have you told your parents?"

"I did, but…they like to remind me that nothing bad happens on the island."

"Which is true," Caroline said, "except for-"

"Except for Kat, you mean?" Elena supplied while cutting Caroline off.

"Yeah, but that was an accident," said Caroline quickly.

"Yeah," mumbled Elena, while looking out at the water.

"Sorry!"

"It's fine."

"Lena, your parents are right. There can't be anything coming into your room."

"Except for a night ago, I closed my bedroom window and the next morning it was open, didn't notice it at the time, until later that night. Mom stayed with me and I slept peacefully."

"Did you tell them?"

"No."

"Why not? I think you should, that's a little weird?"

"I guess, but they will probably say that I forgot that I left it open and remind me that nothing bad happens on the island again."

"Maybe."

"That's why I got hit in the face and also because I thought I saw Damon there, watching the game."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, I swear it was him."

"But why?" Caroline asked quickly. "He didn't even come to your games when you two had been friends."

"But he did," she said with a faint smile. "He would hide out under the bleachers or beside them, and that's where I saw him today."

"Wow, are you sure?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I just don't know, but I took a ball for it," she tried to laugh."

"Beside those weird things, how have you been? Anything new?" Caroline asked, trying to change the subject and Elena was thankful for that.

"No, not really…just been super busy with school stuff."

"Mmh," mumbled Caroline. "How do you put up with it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," Caroline said while looking away from her friend.

"Okay," Elena said while rolling her eyes at her friend's behavior. "How have you been?"

"Not much to say, it's been boring," laughed Caroline.

"Same here, we've busy planning prom and graduation…along with grad night."

"Prom, now that's a good topic," said Caroline with a huge smile. "Do you have a dress?"

"No, you?"

"Not yet, but prom isn't until the second weekend in May."

"Last weekend of April for us," said Elena with a small smile. "I don't even really want to go, but I'm supposed to be there to welcome everyone and make sure everything goes off without a hitch."

"Your not excited?" Caroline asked while tilting her head to the side to look over at her friend.

"I remember talking to Katherine about it, but now it doesn't even seem like something that would be fun…it's probably just another dance."

"Oh come on, Lena," Caroline said softly. "Why not come with me? Be my date, since I don't have one yet?"

"And reenact Carrie, no thank you," she said with a frown. "Why don't you have a date, anyway? Why haven't you asked Stefan yet?"

"Stefan? Why would I ask him?" Caroline asked while blushing. "He's only a sophomore anyway."

"Maybe because you like him," Elena laughed at how she could tell Caroline was nervous. "Then if not him, how about Matt? I know he wouldn't mind taking you."

"What about us?" They heard two guys' ask. She turned her head around to face both Stefan and Matt, who were coming towards them with smirks on their faces.

"Hey!" She said sweetly as the guys got closer. The sight of them made her smile. She missed hanging out with, 'what she termed her boys'. Stefan was Damon's younger brother by a year, and she was very close to him. They had grown up along side each other and even though Damon had made it hard for them to be friends, they had managed to be close to each other. Matt, she had met back when she started kindergarten and ever since they had been close.

Both boys' would never replace Damon or the open hole he had left in her heart, for it was too big to be filled. One person could only fill the hole in her chest, and she knew that was never going to happen. Damon had been too big of a part of her life since the day she had been born, but she knew with her friends help, she would be able to move on.

"So, were you girls talking about us?" Stefan asked with a smile while taking a seat beside Caroline, who was blushing and looking everywhere but at him. Physically, Stefan was athletic and attractive. Stefan Salvatore looked more like his father, than his mother, with his forest green eyes, short dark blonde hair and straight nose. Unlike his older brother, he had more of a paler complexion. For being in his sophomore year, Elena always said that he was very brooding and mysterious.

"Yes, yes we were," Elena laughed, "but nothing too interesting." She laughed while smirking. "So what are you two boys doing?"

"Overheard Caroline talking about her girls day with you and we thought we would crash," Stefan said with a smile. – "So why weren't we invited?" Matt asked. Matt was tall and good looking, with his short blonde hair and baby blue eyes.

"Nice," laughed Elena. "And because it's supposed to be a girls night," she laughed more.

"Why are you boys crashing?" Caroline asked, while trying not to look over at Stefan.

"Because we haven't seen Elena in awhile either," Matt said with a smile. "We miss her too." Elena smiled back at him; finally feeling like everything was good in the world for that short moment.

"But Stefan sees her every Sunday," Caroline pointed.

"You also see her every Sunday, what's your point," Stefan laughed. "And because my brother came home in one of his moods and I overheard him getting yelled at by Adrianna over the phone for leaving her in a dress shop. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Stefan asked with a smirk.

"I'm not his babysitter, why would I know," Elena said while trying not to laugh.

"Well, I know you would be the only one to be able to be the cause of his mood…and I had to come find out why?"

"Why do you think I did anything?" Elena asked with a smirk.

"Because you're the only one that pisses off him like that, so out with it? What happen?" Stefan laughed.

"Nothing, your brother's problems are his problems…not mine," Elena snapped.

"When will the both of you just forgive each other?" Stefan asked while shrugging his shoulders and taking a sip out of a cup he had in his hand.

"Why does she have to forgive him?" Caroline hissed as she turned to face Stefan for the first time since they got there.

"Jeeze, sorry," Stefan said while putting his hands up in surrender, before taking another sip of his drink. Elena recognized the label on the cup as being from her mom's shop.

"You have coffee?" Asked Elena quickly before launching herself at Stefan, who fell backwards from the impact. She fought with him, as she tried to grab the cup out of his hands, as the liquid inside sloshed around.

"I am not cut out for this, you need to get yourself a new babysitter," Stefan said with a laugh has he laid on the floor, fighting with Elena who was trying to grab his drink.

"I'm not that hard to handle," she said while pinning his arm to the ground. "Now be good and give me my coffee," she said while laughing.

"It's not yours," Stefan laughed.

"Sure it is," she laughed more. "Don't you know the deal," she said while looking down at his face from where she was laying on top of him. "Damon used to know the deal."

"I'm not my brother!" Stefan said in a weird calm voice as he looked up at Elena, who had frozen when she realized what she had said. Both Caroline and Matt could not stop laughing.

"Just let her take a sip," Matt said while laughing more.

"Yes, let me," Elena said while smirking down at Stefan as she snatched the cup out of his hand. Quickly taking a drink as Stefan tried to push her off. Before it even touched her tongue, she was spitting it out. "That's nasty!" She said while sitting back and wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. Both Matt and Caroline were laughing at the scene unfolding before them.

"Thanks," Stefan said with a playful glare and snatching his drink back. "Just because it's tea and not your unhealthy stuff, does not mean it's gross."

"Yes, it does," Elena, laughed while scooting back to her seat.

"Have you not had your fix today?" Stefan asked and Elena stuck her tongue at him.

"No, mine fell on the ground," Elena said with a pout, while looking down at the ground.

"That still doesn't give you right to take other people's drinks," Stefan laughed at how Elena was trying to make him feel bad.

"Here, Lena," Matt said while offering her his own drink. "Straight black." Elena looked back at him, before looking at Stefan who was finally sitting up and pushing her off of him. She didn't give much of a fight as she crawled back from him.

"Fine, I'm going," Elena laughed while landing back on her butt as she tried to stand up.

"Lena," Matt said while showing her the cup again.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you won't get any," she said innocently while moving over towards him and taking the cup, before placing herself between his legs and leaning back into him. After Damon, Matt had become her rock.

"Take it all," Matt said with a laugh while wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you," she said while taking a sip of the coffee before sighing loudly.

"So what happened?" Stefan asked while pointing to Elena's swollen nose. – "Way to be nice," Caroline said with a playful glare pointed towards Stefan.

"Soccer ball," Elena said with a laugh.

"It looks like it hurts," Matt whispered to her.

"Nah, dad gave me some good meds," she laughed while looking up Matt.

"So what are you girls planning on doing tonight? Nothing illegal I hope," Stefan laughed.

"No, nothing illegal," Elena giggled.

"Just watching some movies," Caroline said while leaning back on her elbows.

"By the way, which ones are we watching?" Elena asked.

"I was thinking, The Covenant, and then Pride & Prejudice," Caroline said with a smirk.

"So what are you boys doing?" Elena asked with a smirk.

"Nothing really…I know Klaus is throwing a party," Stefan mentioned.

"Well, instead of doing that, which the party will probably end up being illegal, do you want to just hang out with me and Caroline?" Caroline shot Elena a dirty look, glaring at her for daring to ask them.

"You wouldn't mind?" Matt asked.

"No. You don't care do you, Caroline?" Elena said while shooting Caroline an evil smile.

"No, of course not," Caroline said with a faint smile.

"Sounds like a plan, but can we switch the movies around?" Stefan asked with smirk.

"Sure," Elena said with a smile. "If you want dinner, be at my house at –"

"At seven," Stefan said with a smirk while cutting Elena off.

"Yeah," laughed Elena. "And of course you can come with us to church tomorrow," she said to Stefan.

"Don't I every Sunday?" Stefan said with a laugh. It had become tradition for their families to go to church together, but since Stefan and Damon's mom wasn't doing well, Stefan and Damon had begun to go with Elena's parents (their godparents). Now Stefan was the only one who went to church with the Gilberts.

"Are you going to meet your mom?" She asked Matt.

"Mom's not home this weekend, and I probably won't go," Matt said while looking out at the water and not looking over at his friends. They all knew that his mom, up and disappeared all the time.

"Well your more than welcome to come with my family, if you want?" Elena offered while looking up at Matt, who faintly smiled back down at her.

* * *

Elena woke from where she was sleeping on her window bench. She had choose to sleep there because it was closer to the TV and she could see the movie better. Elena looked up at her ceiling before looking over at the softly buzzing TV that had the menu up for the movie that they had been watching before falling asleep. Elena looked down at where Matt was sleeping on the floor. She looked over to her bed to see both Stefan and Caroline sleeping side by side. She laid there for a few minutes, before looking out her window at the darkness.

Her alarm went off, and she quickly reached over to turn it off. She looked down at her phone and caught Matt looking back up at her with sleep in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked sleepily.

"I have to get up and go into the clinic," she whispered back while looking down at him, with her hair falling down around her face, touching his face.

"This early?" He asked, reaching up to tug on her hair.

"It's only six," she whispered back with a smile. "You can go back to bed, I'll be back before you wake up."

"Can I come?"

"Sure, but you need to get ready," she said while sitting up and reaching for her phone as she began to stand up. "Let me change real quick and you can have the bathroom," she said before grabbing a pair of boot cut jeans and black sweater. "I'll be right back," she whispered before disappearing out of the room.

She headed into the tiny bathroom and quickly changed into her clothes. She looked down at her bruised wrist, knowing that was where Damon had grabbed her. She stared at her wrist for a good couple of minutes. It pissed her off the more she looked at the bruise, knowing that her ex-best friend had gave that to her.

Looking into the mirror, her nose wasn't as swollen as it was yesterday. There was still bruising around her eyes and nose, but it looked a lot better than it did yesterday. She began to pull her hair out of the hair tie before running a brush through her hair that was knotted up. Finally getting her hair back up into a ponytail, she splashed some water on her face. Looking back into the mirror, she could see the dark circles under eyes, knowing that she had a long week a head of her. She was tired and wanted to go back to bed, but she knew that the animals needed her. Picking up her toothbrush, she quickly brushed her teeth while watching herself in the mirror. She wondered what the week ahead held for her.

She opened the door to find Matt waiting outside, looking like he was falling asleep

"Matt," she whispered while nudging him. "You don't have to come. You can go back to sleep," she said softly.

"I'm okay," mumbled Matt as he wiped sleep out of his eyes.

"Okay," she said with a smile. "Then it's all yours," she said while opening the door wider. "Just please hurry up, were a little behind," she whispered while smiling at him. "I'll meet you down in the kitchen."

"Okay," mumbled Matt as she moved into the bathroom, carrying his clothes.

Elena went downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing her purse. She did not have a good enough hold on her purse and it fell to the ground. Everything fell out of her purse and onto the floor. Stooping down, she began to pick everything up. Placing everything back into her purse, she came across a five dollar bill that she didn't remember having in her purse. She was always good about putting her money either up or in her wallet. She just never left money floating around in her purse. She held the five dollar bill in her hand for a few seconds while staring at it, trying to remember where it came from. A thought crept into her mind, 'maybe Damon shoved it in there.' When she heard footsteps coming into the kitchen, she stood quickly and shook her head of all thoughts about Damon or the five dollars. She shoved into her purse and smiled over to a sleepily Matt.

* * *

They parked their bikes outside the old clinic that was on the outskirts of the small village on the island. Elena motioned for Matt to follow her around to the back end of the clinic, where she fished out a key and began to unlock the door.

"What do you normally do here?" Matt asked as Elena turned the lights on and made her way over to a large door that was labeled 'kennels.'

"I normally clean the cages and then I take the dogs for a walk. The cats I let out of their cages to roam around their room, except for the ones that pick fights. It just depends on the animals that are here," she explained while opening the door. "Now do as I tell you, because some of the dogs aren't used to a lot of people."

"Sure," Matt said while going through the door that Elena held open.

"You'll clean those cages, but not these," she said while pointing towards the different pens that held's various different sizes of dogs in them. "These four, they are not used to a lot of people and I do not want to freak them out. I understand why they are indifferent to people. Why they have trust issues. Anybody would, if they had been treated the same way," she explained while heading towards the pen that held a very large mix breed dog. "Now we are going to remove the blankets to be washed, and then were going to scrub the floors," she explained. "But first were going to put these guys out in the runs."

* * *

By the time they made it home, Matt was falling asleep and Elena was smirking over at him. They pulled up at her house and Elena stopped Matt, before they went through the back door to the kitchen.

"Thank you," she said softly. "You're the best and I don't know how I would have gotten through this year without your help. I just wanted you to know that I am thankful," she whispered before reaching up kissing him on his cheek.

"You know I would do anything for you Lena," Matt said with a smile before kissing her on the top of her head.

"We should get inside, so we wake Stefan and Caroline."

"Do you think they'll ever get together?" Matt asked with a laugh as they made their way into the kitchen to find her parents sitting at the kitchen table.

"I have no idea," she said over her shoulder.

"Morning sweetie," her mom said with a smile. "Morning Matt, did you go help?"

"Yes, ma'am," Matt said with a smile.

"Well breakfast is ready, its on the counter," Miranda said while pointing too the food. "After you guys eat, well head over to the church. Is Caroline meeting her mom there? And what about Stefan and Matt?"

"Okay," Elena said with a smile. "Stefan's coming with us, and Caroline's meeting her mom there.

"I'm not going, ma'am," Matt said quietly.

"Is your mom not home?" Miranda asked softly and Matt nodded his head. "Well honey, your more than welcome to join us."

"That true," Elena said with a smile as she headed for the stairs. "Just let me go wake Stefan and Caroline," she said before racing up the stairs. She found her friends still asleep, and holding hands. She badly wanted to take a picture, but knew better.

Jumping on the bed, she screamed, "time to wake up!" Both Caroline and Stefan woke up with a fright and glared up at Elena. "Morning my sweets…breakfast is downstairs," she said while climbing off the bed. "We're leaving for church after we eat. So I would get dressed," she said while moving over to her closet, while looking for a cute dress to wear. Finding one of her cute floral print, summer dresses that had a nice denim jacket with it. She took it off its hanger and made her way towards the hallway, while picking up her crème colored ballet flats. "Might want to hurry," she said with a smirk before heading towards the bathroom.

Locking the door behind her, she began to change out of her clothes and into her cute dress. The pink floral print, summer dress had a scoop v-neckline and thin straps, with a circle skirt. She slipped her feet into her flats and then slipped her arms through her jacket, she pulled her hair out of her ponytail and ran her brush through it quickly before moving back to her bedroom to find Caroline pulling out her clothes.

"You can use the bathroom," Elena said while leaning on her doorframe.

"Cute," Caroline commented while motioning to Elena's dress.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "So what was that with you and Stefan?"

"Nothing," Caroline said while blushing. "I'm going to go change."

"I'll be downstairs," she said with a smirk before turning to leave. "Opps, I do believe Stefan is already in there. Just use my bedroom," she called over her shoulder as she made her way back downstairs. She found Matt at the kitchen table, without her parents.

"Where's my parents," she asked while filling up a plate full of food.

"Getting ready," he said while picking up his glass of orange juice and taking a drink. She took a seat beside him and began to dig into her food.

It didn't take long before Stefan and Caroline were coming down the stairs, dressed in their church wear. Caroline was wearing a tan skirt and a maroon dress shirt that had a crew neck with tank style straps and racer back. She was carrying a tan cover-up. Stefan was in black dress pants and nice blue button-up.

"What did your mom make?" Caroline asked while grabbing a plate.

"Eggs and bacon," Elena said with a grin while ducking her toast into her egg yoke.

"Yum," Caroline said while taking a seat beside Elena.

* * *

Elena took a seat between Stefan and her mom, as Caroline was sitting over by her mom who was dressed in her police uniform. They had dropped Matt off, before heading to church. Matt had refused to come, saying that he was going to get a jump-start on his homework. Her parents respected his wish and did not bug him about coming, they understood the reason he did not want to come and it had to do with his mom.

Elena looked over shoulder when she felt like someone was watching her and her eyes widened at the sight of Damon sitting on the other side of the church in the back pew. He was dressed in his black leather jacket and a nice black button-up. She had to admit that he did look good, and she began to blush when she noticed Damon staring back at her with a smirk on his face. He noticed her staring at him, and it made him smirk. She turned around quickly and looked up at their Pastor. Damon hadn't been to church since the ruin of their friendship. It made her wonder why he was there.

"You okay?" Stefan whispered down at her.

"Yeah, did you know your brother's here?" She asked quietly.

"No," Stefan whispered back while looking behind him.

"I thought he quit coming?"

"So did I," Stefan whispered as he looked over at his brother and Adrianna, and her parents. "Adrianna is with him, maybe that's why he's here."

"Maybe," she whispered back while looking over her shoulder at Damon, to find him staring at her intently.

"You both need to be quiet and listen," Miranda whispered over to them with a stern look on her face.

"Sorry," they both whispered and couldn't help but smirk at each other.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, thank you guys. Without you guys this story wouldn't be possible, it would only be an idea in idea in my head. Thank you!**

 **I hope you guys don't hate Damon now.**

 **I also want to say thank you to everyone that said something to nice to me, about my dogs. Unfortunately, both my dogs had to be put down. We had an eighteen year old beagle and she had kidney failure, there was nothing we could do. Our fourteen year old, large mix breed, Louie, he was our surprise in all of this. He had a tumor, and their was 70/30 precent chance that it was cancerous. We knew Louie would not be able to make it through chemo at his age. The worst part, was that the tumor could have ruptured if he had been bumped. It was a hard decision. I just want to thank everyone who took time out of their day to say nice words. They made me cry, and thank you. It makes me happy for humanity. Thank you guys for your kind words, you should know that you guys out of my family and friends, were the ones that actually cared enough to say something nice and you guys don't even really know me. You only know me by my username and my stories. Thank you very much to everyone, it meant a lot!**

 **jariem:** Thank you for your review. They may or may not be paired with other people, but it is a story about them. I will let this slide, the story is more real life than fantasy. Things about the past will be more explained as the story goes on. Not the next chapter, but the chapter after, you might find out what happened.

 **Sorrybout'ya:** Thank you for your review. Thank you and I enjoy replying to your guys reviews. Maybe it's Damon, or maybe it's Elena's imagination. The reason Elena never told her parents, is because she figured she would not be allowed to keep it and it's the only thing of her sister's that she has. Elena's father was just sick, nothing too horrible. He is feeling better now. No, Elena can't get a break and it's all part of the sport. Also, thank you for that information. Last book I read, was were Elena choose Stefan and I didn't know anymore books I had been written.

 **Imagination Run Wild:** Thank you for your review. I'm sorry that you don't like Tyler and Elena together, I can promise you that is not really where the story is going. But Tyler was the only one that would fit the description of being a private school type boy, from a rich family. Tyler will help Elena in certain ways. I don't want them to have a spark. I understand, about Damon not seeing Tyler has a threat, but really any male going after Elena or being close to her, is considered a threat to Damon to a point. I hope this does not ruin the story for you. The Original siblings will make an appearance. Not the next chapter, but the chapter after that, you might find out what happened between Damon and Elena.

 **cesy:** Thank you for your review.

 **Damon-Elena-Fever:** Thank you for your review. Maybe it is Damon, or maybe it's Elena's imagination. There's always a purpose to everything, especially in this story. Damon's thoughts will come up in the next chapter, but are you ready for them.

 **LGZSPECCY:** Thank you for your review.

 **Dove:** Thank you for your review. Thank you for the information, that makes me scared to watch it. I wish Nina would come back too. It's not really a show when she's not on it. To me, the show was about her and the brothers.

 **kfulmer7:** Thank you for your review. It might have been Damon, and it might not have been. Was he at her game? His he crawling through her window or is she just imagining someone in her room.


	6. A question

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 **This chapter goes back and forth between Damon and Elena POV's, hope it's not confusing.**

 **Next chapter will be up December 5th or that Sunday.**

* * *

 **March 19** **th** **2008 – (Wednesday)**

Elena slowly hung up the black and white shot of Moors Lighthouse, with the waves crashing into the shoreline. She had taken the picture has a storm was rolling in. The dark room had a peaceful calm to it that made Elena feel at ease and her let her troubles vanish for a few minutes. She stared at the picture before looking down at her phone, noticing the bell was about to ring. Elena attached her name to the string that held some of her developing pictures, before slipping her shoulder bag over her shoulder and then picking up her purse.

Locking the door behind her, she slipped the little key into her purse. Her art teacher, Mrs. Sanford, had loaned the key to her at the beginning of the year. Last spring semester, Elena had been welcomed into the beginner's photography class that was being held that semester. Halfway through the semester, her teacher had informed her that she was far too advance in the art of photography to be able to take the classes offered. Mrs. Sanford explained that Elena would not get anything out of the class and that it would be a waste of time and money. Elena at the time felt saddened at the idea of not being able to take a class she truly enjoyed. Mrs. Sanford did make her a deal that next year; Elena could be her student aide. Elena had pressed the issue of not needing a grade to still be able to graduate on time.

Victoria Academy was a high demanding school that expected an excellent grade point average to graduate. Has a student at Victoria Academy, you could not just graduate with a C average. Victoria Academy had one of the highest grade point average for graduating seniors.

The deal, it was made that Elena would be Mrs. Sanford's student aide for both semesters of photography classes and also have to produce a portfolio at the end of the year for a grade. The portfolio had to be professional looking. Elena of course accepted and was rewarded with being able to use the dark room any time she pleased. Part of her assignment had her grading papers during the first part of class and the other half; she was in the dark room or out taking picture around the school grounds.

"Miss Gilbert!" Mrs. Sanford said with a smile in her thick New York accent. "How's your project coming along? Do you need any help? You've been quite."

"I'm good, just getting a few more shots in," Elena said quickly.

"That's good to hear. Remember its due June 5th," Mrs. Sanford reminded her. Mrs. Sanford was an eccentric middle age woman with bright blue eyes and dark hair that was done in a pixie cut. "Oh, I just wanted to remind you, have you applied for the National Art Honors Society?"

"No, I haven't," replied Elena as she edged closer to the door. The bell had already rang and she was nervous about being late to class. At Victoria Academy, no students' were ever late, because their grades would suffer.

"You need to dear. You would be a good member to have, especially with your skill with a camera and it looks good on a college application. Especially if you're applying to an art school."

"Oh," mumbled Elena. How did she tell her favorite teacher that going to an art school was a dream of hers, but not in the cards for her? Her father would never allow it. He already blew a fuse over her older brother choosing to major in the arts. She already knew she would be following in her father's footsteps of becoming a doctor. Photography would just end up being a hobby of hers.

"Think about it my dear," Mrs. Sanford said with a smile while handing Elena an application. "With your talent, it should not go to waste. Everyone should be able to see it."

"I – I don't know," whispered Elena. "Photography is just a hobby for me, not a career," she lied. Everyone needs a hobby and hers was photography.

Photography wasn't just a regular hobby for her; photography was an extension of her. It was much more; it was a part of her. It was the one true thing that made her feel whole. Photography and being behind the camera, looking through the lenses, it was what made her, her. When she had a camera in her hands, everything for those few minutes, everything felt right. She was photographer at heart. The camera was her life source and the only way she knew how to function. The camera helped her step out of reality and see things that other people could never see or know. Ever since she was five and her mom had given her a toy camera, she had never been able to put down a camera. The camera had been her friend, since before she had made real friends. She did not feel whole unless she was behind the camera and taking pictures of people, places, animals, and things.

"Please think about it. I would hate to see a talent has yours go to waste," Mrs. Sanford said with a smile, as the bell rung off in the distance. "Oh shoot, I've kept you too long."

"That's fine," smiled Elena. "Could I just have a pass?"

"Of course dear," Mrs. Sanford said while writing out a pass. "What's your next class?" Mrs. Sanford asked while looking up at her.

"Mrs. Bishop's AP English class," replied Elena with a smile.

"There you go," Mrs. Sanford said with a smile while handing the pass to her.

"Thank you," Elena said while taking the pass and turning around to leave.

"Miss Gilbert, remember the application is due by the first of April," Mrs. Sanford called out.

"I'll remember," Elena called over her shoulder has she walked out of the classroom. She raced to her next class, not looking forward to her English class. She was just happy that lunch came after and that she could sneak away to the library to research, unless Bonnie caught her.

She was beyond tired and just wanted to go home and to her nice comfortable bed. Nothing strange had happened since last Thursday and she was happy to be able to sleep through out the night. She was tired for a whole different reason. She was tired because she had already had her French teacher begging her to join The French National Honors Society. She was already planning her campaign for presidency for the student council next year. The elections were being held on the 11th of April and she wasn't ready. Everyone kept begging her to become president, but she wasn't sure if she wanted the position. The president for the junior class this year had made a deal with her. The deal was that she would go out for the position of president of the senior class, while he went out for student body president. Normally, whoever got student body president, was also senior class president. Except this year, Jake Keatley only wanted one position and wanted her to take over the other job. Everyone agreed that they would make an amazing team.

She had no idea how she was supposed to deal with everything everyone wanted her to do and join. She figured she could take the applications home and start applying, but that didn't mean that she would get in. Really, she only wanted to join model united nations and students against destructive decision making. She already knew that they were both easy, since she already was a member of both this year.

* * *

As the bell rang, Elena slowly made her way into the locker room. She quickly changed out of her school issued gym clothes and into her school uniform. Since it was Wednesday, gym class consisted of all the students running around the track, so now she was hot and sweaty. She hated gym, but it was one class that no student was allowed to get out of. Heading for her locker in the junior hallway. As she was placing her stuff in her locker, she felt like someone was standing beside her. Looking over shoulder, she saw Tyler standing there with a huge smile.

"Hey!" She said while grabbing some of her books and placing them in her bag. "Do you know what I hate?"

"No," he laughed. "Do enlighten me?" Tyler and her had become quick friends. She really enjoyed his company and he was really the only person that could keep up with her in a conversation, which was a plus.

"I hate gym and the fact that each year you have to take gym for three days out of the week and then you have to take dance lessons. What's the point? We are high school students, not members of the royal family."

"Glad I don't have to take them," he laughed.

"Yeah, why don't you have to take them?" She asked while placing her hands on her hips and turning to them.

"Because I'm special," he laughed more.

"Yeah, your special," she smirked has she closed her locker.

"Hey now," he laughed while nudging her with his shoulder. "So I have a question for you."

"A question?" She said with a smile.

"Yes, a question," he said with a smirk. "What are you doing after your practice?"

"Going home," laughed Elena as she motioned him to follow her towards the music room. She had piano lessons everyday after school, before her sport practice. Her mom had demanded that Elena take the lessons after finding out the school offered them, because when she was younger, her own mother had gotten her a piano tutor and now she loved the piano and hoped that Elena would too. Unfortunately, Elena did not care for her private piano lessons.

"So, what's the question?" She asked with a laugh as they walked through the hallways that were almost deserted.

"Let me take you home?"

"My mom normally takes me home," she explained has they turned a corner in the hallway. "And I have practice until six. I don't want to make you wait."

"That's excellent," he said with a smirk. "Because I also have practice until five-thirty. Which I am late for," he laughed.

"You, practice?" She laughed. "What sport do you play? And I didn't know you played a sport."

"There is many things you don't know about me," he said with a smirk.

"So what sport is it?" She asked with her own smirk in place.

"Soccer," he smirked more. "So I guess we have more in common."

"I suppose we do, but how did you get on the team in the middle of the year?"

"I went to the coach and I explained I was a new student, but that I had played on various different soccer teams throughout my time at many different schools and he had me tryout, which was not needed, because I made the team."

"Different schools?" Elena asked as she stopped in front of the music room door, leaning on it."

"Like I said, there is a lot you do not know about me," he said with a smile. "So will you let me take you home? There is something I want to ask you."

"I would, but my mom thinks she's picking me up. Also you would only be able to take me to the ferry, it would be pointless. You don't have a pass to bring your car over."

"Can't you call her?" He begged. She loved how his eyes lit up, when he was trying to get his way. "And what about if I told you that my father still has a pass from when he grew up on the island. I can use the pass and drive you all the way to your house."

"That would make a difference," she said with a blush. "But it's a little ways from your house."

"Can you stop making up excuses and just say yes?"

"Is it really that important?" She asked while biting her lip and looking up into his brown eyes, he smiled back at her.

"Kind of," he said while looking over his shoulder when he heard his name being called. She heard him shout something to the person about being down on the field in a couple of minutes. "So?" He asked while looking down at her.

"Okay, I'll call her when I get out of my piano lessons," she quickly said while blushing. She quickly looked down at the ground, trying to cover up her blush.

"Great, I'll meet you outside the girl's locker room after your practice," he said with a huge smile. "I better be off, or coach will be pissed."

"See you," she called out to him before opening the door she was leaning on. She had a huge smile on her face as she walked into the room to be met by her piano teacher.

* * *

Bonnie had corner Elena in the locker room has they came back in from practice and she was wearing a huge grin on her face. Her green eyes were shinning with mischief.

"So? Do you have anything to tell me?" Bonnie said with a grin.

"No, should I?" Elena asked while pulling her stuff out of her locker. She was beyond nervous at thinking that she would be in a car with Tyler for more than in hour and half. She had friends that were boys, but she really had never been alone with a guy that she could potentially like.

"Yes!" Bonnie said in a raised happy voice. "So, did he ask you?"

"Who?" Elena asked while poking her head out of her locker to look at her friend.

"Tyler, did he ask you?"

"He asked to give me a ride home," Elena said while looking at her friend who seemed to be bursting with joy.

"Good!" Bonnie squealed. "Just promise me that you will keep an open minds when he ask you something."

"I thought he already did?" Elena asked confused. "What else is he supposed to ask me and how do you know these things?"

"He's on the same team as my boyfriend," Bonnie said while rolling her eyes. "And I'm not telling, missy," she laughed.

"Okay," Elena said while giving Bonnie a weird look before poking her head back into her locker.

"So did you ask your parents about staying at my house this Friday?" Bonnie asked while opening her locker.

"I did," mumbled Elena as she rummaged through her locker. "They're okay with it."

"Oh good," Bonnie said happily. "We're going to have so much fun," she said while bumping Elena, who laughed.

"Okay, I think that's everything," she said while fixing her tie as she looked her mirror. Her cheeks were tinged pink from practice. She messed with her hair one more time before shutting her locker door. She could hear Bonnie giggling behind her. "What?" She asked with a laugh while turning around to face her friend.

"Nothing, just you trying to look cute for Tyler," Bonnie laughed more.

"Who's got a date with the new guy?" Taylor asked while poking her head around the lockers, since hers was on the other side. "He's cute."

"No one said anything about dating him," Elena blushed more as she picked up her bags, glaring at Bonnie.

"Isn't she so cute," Bonnie laughed while tickling Elena and looking over to Taylor, who was smiling and laughing.

"Stop," laughed Elena as she tried to quickly move to the door. "You guys are not fair," she said over her shoulder has she slipped out the door. She could hear the girls making catcalls and giggling.

* * *

 **Damon's POV**

Damon growled into the phone has he heard his father greet him.

"Father, what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?" Damon said while looking into the mirror that was in his bathroom. His eyes were clouded over.

"Don't be a smart aleck with me," his father snapped. "This is a business call, Damon…nothing more."

"What business do we have?" He asked while tugging at his hair and looking closer into the mirror. Instead of listening to his father, he looked closer at his eyes; he noticed how they were a little bit pink. The couple of beers Klaus had handed him before he left Klaus's house, were already taking affect on his mood. The only thing he wanted to do was end the conversation with his father."You have no business with me, not since you left mom for your secretary."

"Damon!" His father snapped and it made him smile. He loved pissing his father; it was one of his favorite things to do. He knew that he wasn't his father's favorite that belonged to Stefan and his younger brother.

"Yes, father," he said with a smirk has he turned around and leaned on the counter.

"I got a call from your principle –"

"Why did she call you?" Damon asked in anger while cutting his father off.

"Because I am your father, whether you like it or not," his father Giuseppe snapped. "Your principle, Mrs. Fredrick, she told me that you are failing a couple of your classes and that if you do not pass your exams at the end of the year. That you will be held back or taking summer classes."

"What does the old bat know?" Damon growled while inhaling sharply.

"That you're failing your classes," Giuseppe snapped. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing!" Damon angrily said.

"What happened to that nice girl, what was her name? When you two were friends, you used to have the best grades, now they are down hill."

"You mean, Elena?" Damon asked with venom laced in his voice. " We…aren't…friends anymore," he growled into the phone.

"Maybe you should get rid of the friends you have now…and have more friends like her," Giuseppe said in anger. "They don't seem to be doing you any good and you know our deal."

"Will you shut up about your deal?" Damon snapped. He hated being reminded about the deal his father had made him.

"I will not, I made you a deal that if you kept your grades up, you could stay on the island with your mom," Giuseppe said. Damon knew his father was smirking and it pissed him off. "But if your grades slipped and you failed to move onto your senior year," Giuseppe gruffly said. "That you would be taking summer classes and then I would be enrolling you into a military school of my choosing. Along with taking Stefan to live with me."

"Leave Stefan out of this," Damon growled. "He's not a pawn father." He hated when he was reminded that if he slipped up, his brother would suffer.

"No, he's your little brother," Giuseppe said. "You know our deal."

"It's your deal and I never agreed to it," Damon hissed.

"Damon, either pass to senior year or you know what happens," Giuseppe snapped. "I won't tell you twice."

"Fine…fine father, I'll figure something out," Damon said while trying to keep from screaming at his father.

"Good. I'm glad we have understanding," Giuseppe said and Damon knew his father was probably smiling at getting his way. "It was nice talking to you, remind your brother to call me tomorrow, he's supposed to be coming over for the weekend."

"Sure," Damon solemnly said before hanging up on his father and shoving his cell phone into the back pocket of his jeans. He stood there for a few minutes before letting out a big breath of air. He hated talking to his father and really; he hated his father in general.

He walked out of his bathroom and grabbed his leather jacket, before heading out his bedroom and towards the living room. He twirled his key around his fingers as he walked into the living room to find his younger brother sitting there, looking like he was watching the TV. Damon knew that Stefan wasn't watching TV; he had been listening to Damon's phone call.

"What did dad want?" Stefan asked while looking over at his brother, making Damon stop and look over at him.

"Just to remind you to call him tomorrow," Damon lied while beginning to head towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked with concern. He could tell his brother was drunk from where he was sitting on the couch. Anyone would be able to tell.

"None of your business, little brother," Damon said with a smirk.

"Damon!" Stefan said with a frown while watching his brother open the front door. "Where have you been going every night?"

"Like I said, baby brother…it's none of your business," he sighed while looking down at his keys.

"It is, when you're leaving the house at midnight. You can't be telling me that you and your friends are hanging out every night?"

"Stefan, don't worry about things that don't concern you," Damon warned. "They'll just get you in trouble."

"Then tell me what dad wanted?" Stefan asked in an irritated voice.

"You don't need to know."

"I think I do, especially when dad's being a dick," Stefan growled. He hated when his brother kept things from him and treated him like a little kid.

"Stefan!" Damon warned. "That's dad, you don't get to talk about him like that…even if he is being one!"

"But, when it concerns me -"

"That still doesn't count…he's your father and I won't let you," Damon said while slamming the door to make his point. "You'll show him respect, because he hasn't done anything to you."

"Sorry," mumbled Stefan while looking down at his hands. "What did he want?"

"Nothing, baby brother, nothing," Damon said while opening the door again. "I'll be out, don't wait up," he called over his shoulder has he left the house and made his way towards his car.

* * *

 **Elena's POV**

Elena sat in the white Cadillac Escalade has it pulled onto the ferry. She smiled over to Tyler, who grinned back at her. She was still nervous about being alone with Tyler, now from what her friend's had said.

"So tell me something about yourself?" Tyler asked while looking over at her has the ferry left port.

"What do you want to know? I'm an open book," she said while blushing.

"Your not an open book," Tyler said with a smile. "Well, you can tell me why you live on the island, but go to Victoria Academy."

"Oh that," she said while biting her lip and looking out the passenger window. "There's nothing to tell. My father wanted a better education for me."

"I guess we have something in common."

"Mmh?" Elena hummed as she looked back over at him.

"My mom and grandfather," he answered. "They only want the best for me."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"I suppose," Tyler said while looking away from and out the window. "You asked why I don't have to take those dance classes?"

"Yeah?"

"My mother is the reason for it."

"I don't understand."

"She only wants me taught by the best dancer teachers in the world," he explained. "She grew up in a very uppity society and believes I should be raised the same way."

"Ah, so then why don't you have to take a gym class? Everyone has to."

"Because I don't have to take dance lessons. I somehow got out of it, don't ask me," he laughed. "Except if I stay next year, I'll probably have to suffer through it."

"Well I hope you stay," she said with a smile.

"Me too, I hate moving, even though mostly I'm at school when they move," he mumbled.

"Where have you guys lived before?" She asked.

"We've lived in France, England, New York, California…many places…it just depends on where dad get's business. I will be surprise if I stay for next year and I'm surprised dad came to Charleston."

"Why?"

"Not much business here," he said while starting the car up. She noticed that they had docked and everyone was moving off the ferry. She couldn't believe they had been talking the whole time and how easy it was to talk to him.

"Whose your dad, working for right now?"

"Someone called, Giuseppe Salvatore. Dad's a big corporate lawyer for them," he said while driving off the ferry. Elena's heart thudded against her ribcage at the mention of her ex-best friend's father's name. "Where do you live? I've never been on the island."

"Never?" She asked while motioning for him to turn down a road.

"Never, that's another reason why I wonder why dad came to Charleston. He refuses to come to the island. Hasn't been back since he graduated."

"What about his family?"

"They come to visit us," Tyler explained.

"Mmh, interesting," she said while motioning for him to take right and then parking in front of her house. "Here we are," she said while pointing up to her small home. "This is were I live." She was a little embarrassed with showing him her house, since she knew that he had rubbed elbows with very rich people.

"Nice," he said with a smile. "Looks more like a home than where I live at." She softly smiled at him before reaching over and grabbing his hand to squeeze. He reminded her of someone she used to know. "Here let me get your door," he said while squeezing her hand back before opening his door and coming around to her side.

He opened her door and helped her out. She was blushing when she noticed him staring at her. He smiled down at her and moved a piece of hair out of her face.

"Would you let me take you out?"

"What?" She asked while blushing. She wasn't used to guys asking her out. No guy ever asked her out or showed interest in her when she went to her old high school.

"Will you go on a date with me?"

"I – I," Elena stuttered.

"You don't have to," he said quickly.

"Oh, no that's," she stuttered more and blushing. "I would love to," she said quickly and he laughed. "I've just never been asked out, I was surprised."

"How about Saturday?" He asked with a grin.

"I have a game," she said while biting her lip.

"How about I come watch your game and then I can pick you up, we'll go see a movie or something."

"Or you can do everything you said, but instead of a movie…why don't you come to the island again and I can show you around?"

"Perfect," he said with a smile. "I've never seen the island, I would love to. And with you as my tour guide -"

"Don't finish the cheesy line," she laughed while cutting him off. He grinned down at her, while stepping closer to her.

"Also, will you do me a favor?" He asked while moving to open the back of his SUV.

"What?" She asked while moving to where he was standing, going through his gym bag.

"I know I brought it," she could hear him mumble.

"Brought what?" Laughed Elena.

"This," he said while handing her a hoodie. "It's clean I promise, but I would like you to wear it Friday."

"We wear uniforms," she said with a smirk while looking at the jersey.

"I mean…will you come watch the game Friday night?"

"I was planning on going with Bonnie, so yeah!"

"Good!" He said with a smile. "Will you wear this?" He asked while showing her the hoodie again. "I know all the guys give their hoodies with their names on it, to their girlfriends and I don't know many people. I was hoping you would like to."

"I would love to," she said with a smile while taking the hoodie from him.

"Thank you," he said while shutting the trunk. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said while moving closer to her and leaning his head closer to hers. She began to panic a little bit, because she had never been kissed. "Again thank you," he said while kissing her cheek and it made her blush. "I look forward to Saturday," he said while pulling back and smiling down at her. The only thing she could do was nod her head and smile. Her face was bright pink. "Your too cute," he laughed while moving to his drive side.

"Shut up," she laughed while turning to head up to her house. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said while waving at him as he got into his SUV. She turned around and walked up to her house. She could see that her parents were still up and she bet that her father had been watching her.

* * *

 **Damon's POV**

Damon stood in the shadows of the Gilbert house, right under Elena's window. He looked up at her window, noticing that the light was not on. He remembered how he would climb up the tree and enter her room, and how she would welcome him with a huge smile and offer him the other side of her bed. They had grown up along side each other since they day they had been born.

Damon remembered how they had always depended on each other, more like he depended on her. He expected too many things from her. He figured that she would always be by his side. She was always his protector and he was hers, but she was mostly his. He always thought that she had been sent to him, to protect him from himself. Elena was always his safe spot, his reason for his certain behaviors that he displayed.

He heard the sound of a car coming down the road and it made him look out at the road. He watched has a large white SUV parked into front of the house and how a guy that he did not recognize get out of the SUV and open the passenger door. He watched has Elena jumped out of the SUV with a huge smile on her face. His heart pounded against his ribs and made him stay where he was standing, and watch the scene unfold before him. Even in the dim light, he could tell how beautiful she was. He never told her that enough when they had been friends, and he regretted it now.

He watched Elena and the guy he didn't know, talking and then how the guy handed Elena something and how she smiled more brightly at this unknown person. Rage built up in him and it took everything in him not go towards them and pull her away from this person. He watched how the guy leaned down and kissed her cheek, how she blushed more. He knew she was blushing; she always blushed when she was either embarrassed or nervous. He always loved her blush, but he didn't want it directed towards this unknown person. He clenched his jaw and he glared at them. He had always made sure that all the guys in school knew that she had belonged to him, he made sure of it.

He watched her walk up to her front porch and then how her bedroom light came on. His head screamed at him to leave, but his heart screamed to stay. He was at war with himself. She was the only thing that calmed him. He had done things that could not be forgotten (he knew the things he had done and he would be lying if he said that he regretted them. He only regretted losing her). He regretted certain things and those things flashed through his mind, has he watched her move around her bedroom.

* * *

 **Elena's POV**

Elena slowly opened the front door, catching a glimpse of both of her parents cuddling on the couch while watching something on TV. Trying to tiptoe her way towards the stairs, because she didn't want to be caught by her mom and then have to answer millions of questions.

"Elena?" Miranda asked while looking away from the TV and behind her to spot her daughter trying to sneak up the stairs. The scene brought back a memory of her oldest daughter Katherine, trying to sneak up the stairs after staying out late one night.

"Hi," Elena said while blushing. "What are you guys watching?"

"Some Lifetime movie," Grayson gruffly replied while pausing the movie to look over at his daughter.

"So, tell me about this young man that brought you home," Miranda said with a smile.

"Nothing to tell," Elena said while looking between her parents. "He asked me out."

"I want to meet him," Grayson said while staring at his daughter. "Tell him before he can take you out, I want to have a talk with him."

"Dad," Elena said a little too loudly. "Sorry," she blushed. "But you'll scare him off."

"Your dad will be good," Miranda laughed. "But I would also like to meet this young man…or at least know something about him. You said his name is Tyler Lockwood?"

"Yeah," Elena said while moving over to sit on the other couch. "He's seventeen, so about my age and his uncle is Mayor Lockwood…if that counts for anything," she said while biting her lip.

"So that would make him Richard's boy," Miranda said with a soft smile.

"Weren't you friends with Richard, honey?" Grayson asked his wife with a smirk.

"Oh, yes," Miranda said while glaring at her husband. "Me, Lilly and Richard were good friends back in the day…but I haven't seen him in more than thirty some years. I wonder what he's been up?"

"Tyler said his father is a corporate lawyer," supplied Elena.

"Well, I would still like meet this, Tyler," Miranda said with smile.

"Okay," Elena said while standing.

"Dinner's on the stove, sweetie," Miranda said grabbing the remote from her husband, since he had been trying to change the channel to something to do with hunting.

"Already ate, Tyler stopped at a fast food place," Elena said with a smile as she made her way towards the stairs. "I think I am going to go start my homework."

"Okay sweetie, I'll be up later to say good night," her mom said with a smile.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, thank you! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and are not mad at me for making Tyler ask Elena out on a date, this is all a part of my plan. Do not worry! I hope this chapter is not confusing, how it went back and forth between Damon and Elena.**

 **Imagination Run Wild:** Thank you for your review. I agree with Stefan and Caroline's relationship. Their relationship won't be a major part of the story, promise. I don't know about Damon being a less of a jerk yet.

 **Guest One:** Thank you for your review.

 **jairem:** Thank you for your review. All questions you have, will soon be answered either in the next chapter or the chapter after that one.

 **kfulmer7:** Thank you for your review. Adrianna is a bitch, plain and simple. Maybe Caroline will ask Stefan, you'll have to keep reading to find out!

 **cesy:** Thank you for your review. Your review made me laugh! Thank you for that! I am still alive!

 **dove:** Thank you for your review. Your questions will be answered in the next chapter or the chapter after that one. Sorry, I normally update on either that Saturday mentioned or the following Sunday. The story, His Mate, took me a few days to write, because I couldn't figure out what would be written. And this story, was only to be updated yesterday. Also, the last few weeks haven't been good for me. That's why I haven't been updating like I should, I'm sorry. But I'm back!


	7. Date night with unwanted visitor, part 1

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 **Next chapter will be up December 19th or that Sunday. Sorry I am day late.**

* * *

Giggling could be heard coming down the small hallway. The creaking door opened to a semi medium size bedroom that was cluttered. Elena looked around the room, noticing the various trophies, books and pictures all over the place. The wall were the bed was sitting, was done in a coral/pink color, while the rest of the walls were done in an off white color. In front of the bed was a door, but to the right of it, stood a white desk, that fit nicely into the corner. The chair sitting in front of it was coral colored with white polka dots. A white dresser stood on the other side of the door. New York was written out in large light blue wooden pieces and it hung over the full-size bed. A white ladder bookcase stood beside the large window in the room. Pictures could be found everywhere. Elena could see one of Bonnie and her father, and a couple of Bonnie and her boyfriend, along with Bonnie and various different friends.

The room screamed Bonnie and it brought a smile to Elena's face. Bonnie moved over to her closet, quickly changing out of her school uniform and changing into a pair of skinny jeans with holes in the knees.

"I'll be quick," Bonnie said while rummaging through her closet for a top. "Are you going to change?"

"Yeah," said Elena as she dropped her bags onto the bed. She began to open the bag, searching for her clothes. "Where's your bathroom at?"

"Down the hall on the right," Bonnie said while pointing as she began to slip a blush colored, short sleeve ruffle front blouse off the hanger.

"Thanks," said Elena as she grabbed her stuff and headed out of the bedroom and down the little hallway, towards the bathroom.

Elena closed the door behind her, placing her stuff on the counter. She looked in the mirror and began to blush as she looked down at Tyler's hoodie. She knew Bonnie would have a field day with her, when Bonnie saw her wearing his hoodie. She hadn't told Bonnie that he had asked her to wear his hoodie yet. It was a very big deal when one of the guys on the soccer team asked a girl to wear their hoodie to a game. She began to slowly change out of her clothes and into a pair of jeans, and a black tank top. She slipped the hoodie over her head and looked in the mirror. A smile across her face as she stared at herself. For the first time, in a long time, she was happy and just feeling silly. She tied her hair up into a ponytail, before leaving the bathroom, carrying her other clothes.

Elena walked back into the bedroom, where she spotted Bonnie putting on her make-up as she looked in the mirror that hung on her closet door. The mirror had several pictures clinging to it. Elena threw clothes into her bag and smiled over at her friend as she pulled her camera out of her bookbag. She began to fiddle with her camera, making sure she had film and that it was on the right sitting. Looking through the viewfinder, she began to take pictures of Bonnie has she fussed with her hair.

"Hey!" Bonnie laughed as she spun around on her heels, sticking her tongue out at her friend. Elena laughed more as she took another picture. "So I was thinking we could go to a party after the game!" Bonnie said with a huge smile.

"But we have a game tomorrow?"

"We do," Bonnie, said with a smirk before looking back at the mirror. "So, won't Taylor be upset if she finds out that two of her players went out partying the night before a game?"

"No," laughed Bonnie. "More than likely her boyfriend Ethan will throw the party, especially if they win the game tonight. So Taylor, she'll more than likely be there in the middle of it," Bonnie said with smile. "The only way she would be upset is if we showed up tomorrow hung over."

"I don't drink," mumbled Elena. "And I don't really party either."

"I normally don't drink either, especially if we have a game the next day," explained Bonnie as she fiddled with her hair. "And this is the first time you have stayed over and I thought it would be fun to go to a party. And, Lena…we are only young once!" Bonnie smirked. "And lover boy will be there too!" Bonnie said with more of a smirk.

"Lover boy? Whose lover boy?" Elena asked confused.

"Yes, lover boy," laughed Bonnie as she turned around to face Elena. "The same one that gave you his hoddie," she said with a smirk as she pointed to the hoddie that Elena was wearing. Elena touched the fabric of the hoddie has her face began to feel warm. She knew that she beginning to blush.

"Shut up," she laughed while covering her blushing face with her hands.

"You like him," teased Bonnie.

"He's okay," Elena said while blushing more. She quickly began to fidget with her camera again.

"Did you bring your camera to take pictures of, lover boy?" Teased Bonnie more.

"No," Elena said with a laugh. "It's for my portfolio and I was also thinking of trying out for the school newspaper next year as one of their photographers."

"You would be good for the team," Bonnie said with a smile.

"You think?"

"Oh yeah!" Bonnie smiled more. "We should get going or we won't have good seats," she said as she grabbed her purse.

"Okay," smiled Elena as she grabbed her own purse and slipped her camera strap over her neck, before following Bonnie out the door and towards the garage.

* * *

They had gotten good seats in the stands and Elena's voice was almost gone, as she had been cheering the whole game. She snapped a few pictures during the beginning of the game, trying to make sure the pictures were in perfect focus. She could hear Bonnie beside her cheering as their team made a shot. Elena stood quickly as everyone else on the home side did too, when one of the referees made a bad call.

"Come on," Bonnie shouted. "That shouldn't even count…that was a hand ball," screamed Bonnie. You could hear everyone on the home side booing the referees and agreeing with Bonnie. Elena smiled over at her friend because a few of the people around them turned to look over at where they were sitting.

The game was tied at half time and Elena couldn't get the smile off her face. She had a smile on her face for the rest of the game and it only got bigger when their school won the game. Elena screamed loudly with everyone else as they cheered and did the school fight song. She couldn't stop clapping and whistling. She could see Tyler coming off the field and towards the showers. He of course caught her staring and she waved down at him and he smiled back up at her. She gave him two thumbs up and big smile, which he returned the smile again.

"Look at you two!" Bonnie teased as she nudged Elena in the shoulder as they began their way out of the stands.

"What?" Elena said as her cheeks began to have tinge of pink to them.

"If he ask you out and he will. There's no doubt about that. You better say yes. You two are too cute together," laughed Bonnie as she smiled over at her friend.

"Elena, Bonnie!" They could hear Taylor yell up to them as they spotted her down at the bottom of the stands.

"Hey!" Both girls replied with smiles, as they got closer to their friend.

"Good game!" Taylor said as she smiled over at her boyfriend, who was talking to another player.

"Oh yes, it was nail bitter there for a second," Bonnie said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah," Taylor said with a grin before catching a glimpse of the hoddie that Elena was wearing. "So he asked you?"

"Asked me what?"

"To wear his hoddie of course," Taylor said while pointing to her hoddie that belonged to her boyfriend.

"Sure," laughed Elena.

"So are you guys coming to the party later?"

"Yeah, this one here's making me tag along," Elena said while playfully glaring over at Bonnie.

"You'll have fun," smiled Taylor. "Well I better be off. See you guys later," laughed Taylor. "Looks like Ethan's waiting," she said with a smirk before dancing off towards her blonde haired boyfriend.

* * *

 **The Next Day,**

Elena stood in front of her mirror, trying to decide what she should wear. Tyler was supposed to be meeting her at the ferry and then dropping his car off at her house. She was beyond nervous as she began to search through her closet until she found something cute to wear. She had found the dress her sister had hidden in her closet. She pulled the dress out and smiled to herself. Slipping into the dress, which had spaghetti straps and a triangle top. The empire waist on the dress was defined by a drawstring and skirting was done in a prairie/babydoll style. Tiered ruffles were along the hem at the bottom of the dress. The dress was cute and done in a bohemian style print. She smiled at herself in the mirror, before finding herself a cute pair of sandals.

Miranda knocked on her daughter's bedroom door, while saying, "Lena?"

"Yeah mom?" Elena asked while turning to face her mom as she began to curl her hair.

"Are you excited?"

"Yeah," Elena sighed nervously. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful as always," Miranda said with smile as she motioned for Elena to hand her the curling iron. Elena handed her mom the curling iron before taking a seat on her desk chair.

"Where did this dress come from? I don't remember buying it."

"Well, it was actually Katherine's," mumbled Elena. "She hid it in my closet, mom. She bought it a few weeks before," she paused. She couldn't finish what she had been about to say. "She didn't want you guys to know she had bought it and I forgot all about it," mumbled Elena as she bit her upper lip. She knew her mom still grieved for Katherine and she understood why. "Is it okay if I wear this?" She asked while motioning to the dress.

"Of course sweetie," Miranda said with a sad smile. "She would have loved being here and she would be so proud of you. She would have been happy that you would want to borrow her dress for your first date," Miranda said while wiping away a tear.

"Oh mom," Elena said while wiping away her own tears.

"You know, with your hair all curled…you look more like her with each passing day. You two resembled each other the most," Miranda said with a smile. "There you go. What do you think?" She said after a few minutes of curling Elena's hair. Elena stood up and looked into her mirror. The image looking back at her shocked her. She sure did resemble her sister when she had her hair all curled.

"Thank you, mommy," she said with a smile as she looked back at her mom.

"Look at you, beautiful as ever," Miranda said with a huge smile.

"I probably should go meet Tyler at the ferry before he thinks I am standing him up," she laughed.

"Bring him back here. I would love to meet him and so would your father," Miranda said while kissing the top of Elena's head as she hugged her daughter. "Here take this," she said while handing her daughter twenty dollars. "Just in case, but if he's anything like his father, he'll more than likely pay since it's your guys first date." She knew her mom had known Tyler's father when he had lived on the island, but it made her wonder if something else went on between Tyler's father and her mother.

"Thanks," she said while taking the money and picking up her purse. "I'll be back later."

* * *

Elena and Tyler took a seat beside each other on the beach. Elena couldn't help but smile over at him, when she noticed no one else was out on the beach. They could hear the waves hitting the shoreline and it look like a storm may was headed their way. Elena began to blush when Tyler grabbed her hand and she had to look away from him.

"I can't believe my dad got to grow up here," Tyler whispered as he looked out at the beach.

"Well actually, he would have grown up in Crest Hill," supplied Elena while smiling over at him. "My mom grew up there and your uncle still lives there too."

"Is it different than it is here?"

"Oh yeah," laughed Elena. "More posh," she laughed. "I guess, my mom and your dad used to be good friends, along with my godmother Lillian," explained Elena. "Except Lilly, she didn't live in Crest Hill. She actually lived a few houses down from where my house is."

"What's the difference?"

"Crest Hill is were all the rich people live and everywhere else, is where the poor class live. There are only two classes of people on the island. People who have shops and try to help the island be a tourist trap during the summer months and the rich that use this island has a summer haven. Some of the rich live all year, but they have to work off the island," explained Elena.

"Ah," Tyler said with a smile. "So my father must have been one of the rich."

"He never told you about his life here on the island, did he?"

"He doesn't like to talk about it. Says there are too many bad memories here."

"Oh, the way my mom talked, it seemed like he enjoyed his time on the island."

"I don't know, but let's stop talking about our parents," he said while inching closer to her. She leaned back, and tried not to blush anymore than she already was.

"Well, lookie lookie," she could hear Damon's voice say as he got closer. She looked over at where she heard Damon's voice coming from. Damon was all dressed in black and he didn't look too happy to see her.

Damon had been watching the little scene for a few minutes when Klaus had pointed over to them. His blood was boiling at the thought of her on a date with the preppy looking guy sitting beside her. Klaus had laughed and said it looked like she was out on a date, which had sent him over the edge. Klaus had left with a bruised arm and Damon swearing that if Klaus didn't leave he was going to have more than just a hurt arm.

"Damon?" She said with a glare has she stood up, dusting off the sand that had collected on her.

"Hello to you too, Princess," said Damon with a smirk has he got closer to them. "So are you going to introduce us?" He said while smirking at her.

"What do you want, Damon?" She asked through clenched teeth. Tyler had already stood up and was standing behind on her, staring at the young man that was talking Elena.

"Just an introduction," Damon laughed. "I think has your friend I deserve that," he laughed more.

"We're not friends and you do not deserve anything," she said through clenched teeth.

"That's right Snitch, we aren't," Damon laughed before smirking at her and it sent a shiver down her spine. "Piece of advice, I would stay away from her…or she'll only bring you down…or maybe you like that sort of thing. The girl from the wrong side of the tracks, they can be wild sometimes and you don't have to buy them. Just give them a little bit of attention and they'll do what ever you want," Damon snidely said as he spoke to Tyler. Elena's eyes got big and Damon knew he had crossed the line, but he wanted to get rid of the guy standing behind what was his. Elena was speechless and she just glared at Damon as tears formed.

"Apologize now," Tyler growled while stepping in front of Elena. "You had no right to say that."

"Tyler, leave it," she said when she saw the look in Damon's eyes. She could tell that Damon was out for blood and that was never a good thing.

"But-" Tyler went to say.

"Just leave it," Elena said while cutting him off.

"Yeah, I would listen to the little lady," Damon laughed.

"Damon you ass," she shrieked as she turned to face him. "Get the hell out of here." He stared down at her, making her feel nervous before he smirked.

"Fine, I'm bored anyway," Damon, said before leaving them standing there.

"Who the hell was that?" Tyler asked as she turned around to face him.

"Damon Salvatore," she replied. "My ex-best friend," she sighed while shaking her head. "We used to be best friends, but now he hates me for what I did."

"What did you do?"

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, thank you! You'll find out what happened between Damon and Elena in the next chapter. Sorry for the cliff hanger, it just seemed like a good spot to stop. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and wasn't annoyed with Elena and Tyler. Damon did show up, what do you guys think will happen on Elena and Tyler's date? Also, m** **ore interactions between Damon and Elena in the next chapter!**

 **I would like to say that this story is almost real life. Its about things that have happened to me while I was in high school and things I have seen. I am just surprised with how many of you that actually like it, so thank you everyone!**

 **tottyo7:** Thank you for your review. You'll be seeing more of possessive Damon.

 **kfulmer7:** Thank you for your review. Damon won't outright ask her to help him with his homework, too much pride. Oh, he's not happy about 'Tyler' dropping her off.

 **Imagination Run Wild:** Thank you for your review. I am glad you think Elena deserves a good guy! You basically got Elena's character down to a tee. Damon wouldn't ask her, because he's too prideful to ask about homework. Damon is struggling, and you'll find out why in a couple of chapters.

 **dove:** Thank you for your review. I am glad you like Tyler and Elena together! Oh, you didn't make me feel bad, you made me want to write more.

 **Margie:** Thank you for your review. Next chapter, you'll find out what happened between Elena and Damon.

 **Issues Fllorence:** Thank you for your review. You'll be getting more interactions between the both of them, soon!

 **jairem:** Thank you for review. Lol, I won't be able to tell you how long Tyler will be around, but there will be many interactions between Damon and Elena, that it will make up for it. Also, don't get too wrapped up on Tyler, he's not the the story. He's just a small part wrapped up in a larger scheme. The angst won't be from other couples, it will be from Damon and Elena themselves. I'm sorry, I can't tell you if Tyler is being honest or not, right now he is a good guy. Elena is an achiever because she is trying to keep herself busy, so she doesn't have to think about Damon or run into him.

 **Guest:** Thank you for your review. I am sorry you feel that way about Elena and Tyler. Elena right now needs someone like Tyler, since the only thing she has is Damon and he's an asshole, lets just be honest. You'll get more interactions between both of them soon!

 **cesy:** Thank you for your review. You'll find out what happened to Elena and Damon in the next chapter. I would be worrying about Tyler so much, he's not really the story. He's just a small part wrapped up in a larger scheme.

 **Damon-Elena-Fever:** Thank you for your review.

 **Florayezi:** Thank you for your review. You get more scenes of Damon and Elena interacting.


	8. Date night with unwanted visitor, part 2

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Heads up, chapter is very emotional and you guys might end up being mad at one of the characters.****************

 **Next chapter will be up Jan. 16th or 17th**

* * *

"That's a long story," she whispered as she looked everywhere but at Tyler, who was watching her closely. The sea air danced around them and Elena rubbed her right hand up and down her left arm as she took a deep breath of the salty air.

It was like Mother Nature knew that her emotions were running wild, because they could hear thunder off in the distance from out at sea. Elena stared at the dark clouds rolling in off the ocean. Elena swore in that moment that Mother Nature was reading her and screaming at her to stop thinking of those horrible thoughts. A flash of lighting lit up the sky off in distance. The sky overhead was scattered with heavy gray clouds and the sky was starting to take on a twilight effect, almost like it was angry.

Elena thoughts slowly seeped back to that summer afternoon, when she had only been fifteen and innocent. It had been a hot summer day in early July. It had only been a week since her fifteenth birthday and she was busy being a kid and hanging out with her friends.

Elena watched the scene has though she was on the sideline, screaming at herself not to go tell. She watched her younger self, quickly pull on a pair of mini shorts, and one of Damon's old workout shirts that she stolen from him. She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and smiled at herself in the mirror as she slipped the large class ring onto thumb. She watched her younger self, skip out to the old garage her parents had.

She could not wait to see Damon; they had been separated since their shared birthdays on the 22nd of June. She knew that she would find Damon out there with her older brother. Damon had been hanging out more and more with her older rebellious brother, and they had not been able to see each other. Damon also had spent the weekend at his father's with his little brother. She knew that he was probably ready to scream. She knew Damon's father and him didn't see eye to eye on certain things, since Giuseppe had left Damon's mother. She knew Damon would be seeking her comfort, like he always did when he came back from his dad's. They had always had a strange bond since the day they had been born, and it only intensified over the years. They always seek each other out when something was wrong; the other was always waiting like they already knew what was going on. Mostly it was always Damon seeking her out, like she was his life source. Some called their weird friendship unhealthy, unstable and most of all, unnatural. They acted like twins that weren't related, and did not hold the feelings of being siblings toward each other.

Elena slowly peeked through the small opening in the door to see her older brother Jeremy, Damon and their two friends sitting around a semi circle, joking and laughing. Her lungs filled up with smoke that smelled faintly of cigarettes and a dead skunk. She had to step back a bit as she began to cough.

Klaus, one of Damon's new friends had caught sight of her and motioned to Damon. Damon took a swig of the beer he was holding before looking up at the half opened door and Elena peaking through with wide eyes. Damon's heart pounded against his chest at the sight of her looking all little and innocent. He had never done anything illegal in front of her; it was just something he was doing to take the edge off since he got back from his father's. He didn't want her to worry about him, but he wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. His eyes traveled up her long legs to see that she was wearing a pair of skimpy shorts and one of his shirts. A part of him was happy that she was wearing his t-shirt; it made it easier on him because then the rest of the male population knew whom she belonged to. Since the moment she had been born six hours after him, she was his and his only.

"Look who showed up," Mason chuckled while nudging Jeremy to look over at Elena who opened the door a little more. Mason was what you could call handsome for an eighteen year old with an athletic build to him and short dark brown hair. He had blue eyes, but they were nothing compared to Damon's. "Did you miss me?" Mason laughed as he winked over at Elena. Damon could see how Elena took a nervous step back.

Jeremy took a drag of the joint he had in his hand while glaring at his little sister and his glare turned towards his friend, before growling, "leave her be." Jeremy then turned to Damon and asked in a raised voice, "did you tell her to meet you here?" Damon just sat there looking at Elena with wide eyes, before looking back at Jeremy.

"No of course not dude," Damon said while standing and stretching a little has he stood. He took another drink of his beer.

"You remember what I told you when you came to ask…that I don't want my baby sister involved any of this," Jeremy hissed.

Damon placed his beer bottle on the table in front of him before saying, "I know."

"Then make her leave," Jeremy hissed. "Take care of it…she doesn't belong here."

"You can't tell me what to do," Elena stubbornly said while opening the door wider.

"Look the kitty has claws," Mason chuckled.

"Shut up," Jeremy hissed at his friend.

"What?" Mason laughed. "Damon did you train her to follow you around like a lost puppy or did she –"

"Do not finish that sentence," Damon growled as he began to walk towards Elena.

"What, I can't joke now?"

"It would be better if you didn't," Jeremy said with a glare. "Make her leave," he said with a glare towards Damon.

Damon glared over at Jeremy while saying, "I'm going." Damon walked passed Mason and stopped right in front of him before shoving him hard enough that he fell out his chair.

"Damon!" Mason shouted as he stood up. Jeremy had a pleased look on his face has he began to laugh. "You think that's funny, do you?" Jeremy just laughed more.

Damon ignored his friends juvenile behavior as he got closer to Elena who looked nervous and defiant at the same time. She was only person he knew that could look nervous and innocent, but also look very much ready to speak her mind.

"Elena," he whispered as he ushered her outside, shutting the door behind him. "What were you thinking?"

"What?" She asked confused. Her voice was soft and filled him with a sense of calm that he craved. She was a part of him, the lighter side to his darkness, and the good to his imperfections. She was pure and he was filled with sin. She completed him and he wanted everything that made her, her. She was only thing that kept him grounded and sane in the crazy life that was his. He wanted to posses the light that burned brightly inside her and made her perfect and unblemished.

"I told you that I would be by later."

She licked her dry cracked lips before saying, "I know…I just wanted to see you and I just got back from the clinic." She had a huge smile on her face.

"Well you could have waited," he impatiently said. "It's not like we don't see each other all the time.

"Damon?" She questioned while looking up at him. "What are you guys doing?" She asked softly.

"That's none of your business, Princess," Damon snapped at her.

"Oh, Damon…tell me your not doing the same things Jeremy does to impress him or anyone?" She asked softly. He hated making her worry about him, hated being the big bad wolf in the story that was their life.

"That's none of your business," Damon snapped. "And I don't need to impress anyone, maybe it's things I like to do." He watched as she just shook her head at him. He watched as she reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards her. She looked up at him in a calculated way, like she was seeing straight through the mask he was wearing. It made his hand tremble knowing that she could see everything he was hiding. On a good day, he never hid anything from her because he couldn't.

His fingers brushed over his class ring that she was wore on her thumb and he played with the cool metal, twisting it around her tiny finger. She interlocked their fingers together like she was trying to get a better connection to his mind and heart. Her face turned from concern to sadness. He hated how he could read her like an open book.

"No, that's not you Damon," she said while grabbing his other hand, but he threw her hand back. "And I thought anything that concerned you was my business?" She asked him back with a question that she already knew the answer to. "Now what's going on with you?"

"Nothing that you can help me with," Damon said while blinking his eyes a few eyes and slowly shaking his head. "And not everything is your business." Her eyes widened at what he said. His pretty blue eyes looked tired and red, and his shoulders sagged as though he had the weight of the world abound them.

"Oh Damon," she whispered as she reached up to touch his face. He pushed his face closer to her hand. "What's going on in that head of yours?" She asked softly before wrapping her arms around his waist and she pulled him closer to her. "Damon, just tell me and I'll try to help if its something bad. You should know by now that you can tell me anything." He wrapped his arms around her and just held her closer.

"I know," he whispered after a few minutes of silence. "Maybe sometimes you just can't help," he whispered.

"I only wish to help, Damon," she gently said while reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Princess, it's none of your business though and I don't want you involved."

"Damon hurry up and get rid of her and get your ass back in here." They could both hear Jeremy say loudly through the crack in the door.

"Damon, don't go back in there," she begged.

"That's not your choice, Princess," he growled while untangling her from himself. "Let go Elena," he hissed and she defiantly held on tighter while looking up at him.

"Not if it means you don't go back in there."

"Princess, it's none of your business…now let go of me," he said as he pushed her away and he watched her stumble on the brick walkway leading from the garage to the house.

"You don't have to do the same things Jeremy does to impress anyone, your already great as who you are," she pleaded. "Please don't go back in there…just come hang out with me in the clearing and forget about this nonsense."

"I don't have to impress anyone," he growled. "And we see each other enough…give me so space. I have other friends beside you Elena. And that nonsense you are talking about…that's my life," he hissed.

"I know," she whispered and he could barely hear her. "But I haven't seen you since our birthday's and –" She paused, not knowing what to say.

"We have all fucking summer, Elena," Damon hissed. His words came out a little bit slurred. "You're not my keeper and it's none of your damn business," he snapped.

Elena's pretty brown eyes widened in shock and it tore at Damon's heart knowing that he was cause of it. She was beginning to piss him off and he didn't need Jeremy to come out of the garage to take care of the problem (namely Elena). He moved towards her and in a quick movement, he had reached down and locked lips with her. It wasn't their first kiss by any means; Damon was pressuring her to kiss him all the time. Elena's lips stayed frozen for a second before they began to kiss him back. Her hands tangled in his shirt as she pulled herself closer to him. She was used to kissing him, but normally it was just a peck on the cheek or on the mouth. This kiss was explosive and was full of raw angry energy that was building up in them at that moment. Damon's kiss was demanding. He pulled back breathing hard, before saying, "now go be a good girl, and run up to house. Make sure to keep your mouth shut and I might just come to visit later." He had a smirk plastered to his face as he looked down at her. "Now run along, Princess…your not wanted and you need to keep your nose not out of my business."

She pulled back from him with a glare abound her face and if looks could kill, he would be dead. She was beyond pissed at him as she cocked back her arm and slapped him hard across the face.

"Damon!" She shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She snapped. "I just came to see you, since we haven't seen each other in a few days. We were supposed to hang out today and you go and be an ass. I'm not one of your followers," she yelled.

"We'll hang out tomorrow or the next day, we have the whole fucking summer. Get a life Elena, and stop barging into my mine," Damon yelled. "And you can't tell me you didn't like that kiss," he said with a smirk.

"Fine!" She yelled. "When your ready to talk, I'll be waiting…but this is not you," she said as she spun on her heels and marched back up to the house. She stopped quickly and turned around to face him. He could see the tears already running down her face. He had crossed a line and he knew that, but he also knew that Elena would come back to him. She needed him, like he needed her. "You should know that I like you for you," She said while wiping away a tear that ran down her cheek. "Until your ready to start acting normal, I don't want to talk you. You had no right to kiss me like that or to talk to me that way," she said before rushing off back up to the house.

She stormed inside, slamming the door behind her. She had tears running down her face and she was gasping for air, as she cried harder. He was her best friend and to think he was out there doing those things, it upset her, because that wasn't Damon. Couldn't he tell that she just loved him and wanted to protect him? She knew that he didn't see her that way; he just liked to fuck with her emotions. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and turned the tap on when she heard voices getting closer to the house. She blinked back the tears when she looked out the window to see Damon's head bob pass the kitchen window, followed closely by the others. She watched as Klaus stumbled pass the window. She took a long drink from the glass.

Later that night, Elena woke with a start. She slowly opened her blurry eyes to see Damon stick his head into the room with a smirk when he saw her. She rolled her eyes and propped herself up by her elbow and glared over at him. He just laughed as he finished coming into the room. His dark sunglasses slipped off his face a bit when he stumbled into the room. He pushed his sunglasses back up his nose as he came into the room. He stumbled across to her bed were landed. He began to laugh as he laid back on the bed, looking over at Elena who did not look amuse.

"Damon!" She said while hitting him. "You need to be quiet or mom and dad will hear you. And what are you doing here?"

"I thought I would come visit my favorite person!" He said with a smirk. "And I have a hot date, so I needed to pick something up that I left here." She just rolled her eyes at him again, before sitting up in the bed. She leaned over and turned on the lamp that sat on her bedside table.

She watched him go over to her desk, looking through her jewelry box. "Damon?" She questioned.

"Mmh," he mumbled as he picked up his class ring.

"Why do you want that?" She asked quietly.

"Do you need to know everything?" He asked with a smirk as he looked over at her and she glared back at him.

"But I thought that you gave that to me?"

"I remember you taking it," he laughed as he picked something up off her desk. She watched him tying something around the ring, but could not understand what he was doing.

He came closer to her, holding the ring in his hand. He stumbled a bit as he took a seat beside her. "Hold out your hand," he said while looking down at her, making his sunglasses slip down his face. She caught a glimpse of a bruise around his eye, before he pushed the sunglasses back up his nose.

"Why do you have a bruise around your eye?" She asked while reaching up to take his sunglasses off, but he grabbed her left hand. She watched has he slipped the ring on her wedding finger and how he gently kissed her finger.

"I was going to give this to my hot date, since she's been asking for it, but you reminded me that I gave it to you first," he said while holding her hand. He had completely ignored her question and she stared up at his face, wishing he would answer her.

"Then why act like you were going to take it?" She asked with a sigh.

"Never take this off, it belongs to only you," he said while staring down at her fingers. "I don't think you understand how wrapped you have me around your little fingers. This ring only proves that," he chuckled and she stared at him.

"Damon why did you come?" She asked softly. "I'm still mad at you. You treated me horribly."

"Because you couldn't keep your nose out of my business," he said harshly. "I need you to keep your mouth shut about whatever you saw in the garage. You can never tell anyone."

"I just don't understand what has gotten into your head, why are you hanging out with Jeremy and Mason. They are both not good people and that's saying a lot, since one of them is my brother," she said while wrapping her hand around his.

"Just keep your mouth shut," he said before leaning into her.

"Damon?" She questioned while looking into his eyes through the dark sunglasses he was wearing. She could smell the alcohol rolling off him and it made her want to gag. She wanted to ask him about the kiss earlier, because it hadn't left her mind since it had happened.

"What?" He asked before kissing her on the cheek. "You're my girl, Elena, but I need you to keep quiet or bad things will happen," he said. "Now were did I leave my jacket, I need to go pick up Brittany. We're supposed to be going to Mason's, he throwing a killer party since the rental's are on the mainland."

"Never mind," she said while looking away from him. She had hoped the kiss had meant something, but then again it was Damon being Damon, taking things that didn't belong to him. "And it's over there," she said while pointing to his black leather jacket hanging off her desk chair.

"Thanks," he said while going to kiss her again on the lips, but she moved and he ended up kissing her on the cheek. He just sighed and got up quickly, before stomping over to where his jacket was. She didn't look over at him as he made his way over to window. She knew that she had upset him.

"You didn't drive over here, did you?" She asked while looking over at him as he was escaping out the window.

"How else did I get here?" He laughed.

"You don't even have a permit yet," she sighed and he rolled his eyes at her. "And you're drunk…why did you drive? Or even think that was a good idea?"

"You worry too much," he said with a smirk.

"Damn it Damon, I lost my sister that way," she said while glaring at him.

"I'll be fine and I'll come visit you," he said with a smirk. "Your jealousy is showing, Princess," he chuckled before disappearing out the window.

She sat there in her bed for a good few minutes, pondering what she should do with the information she had been given. She looked out at the window again, before sighing and getting up. She stood there looking at the window, trying to decide what she should do. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, before sighing. There was only one thing she could do and that was being brave and going to her parent's bedroom. She made her way downstairs and towards her parent's bedroom. She opened the door quietly and snuck inside. Her dad was the only one sleep in bed, since her mom had spent the night over at her aunt Lily's, since her aunt had a doctor appointment that morning.

Her aunt, Damon's mom wasn't doing so well since her divorce to Giuseppe. Her aunt had trouble sleeping, had been given sleeping pills. She knew her aunt sometimes took a few too many, and her parents were trying to get her aunt help. Her aunt Lily was very closed off since her divorce and fallen into depression and that she was taking something for that too. Her aunt mentally and psychically wasn't doing so well, and she felt bad for her aunt.

She crept over to her father's side and shook him, trying to make him wake up. "Dad," she whispered loudly while shaking him. "Dad," she whispered loudly again.

"What? What?" Her father said sleepily as he opened his eyes. He jumped a little bit when he noticed Elena standing beside the bed looking down at him. "What? What's wrong?" He asked while turning the lamp on that sat on the bedside table.

"Dad, I have something that I need to tell you," she whispered.

"And it couldn't wait until morning," he asked while trying to make his eyes adjust to the light.

"No," she said while biting her lip. She got down on her knees and crawled over to the side of the bed. "Daddy," she whispered and Grayson noticed the worried look on his daughter's face. "I know about something bad, and I don't know how to tell you, but I know I have to tell you," she whispered.

"What is it? It's okay Elena, you can tell me anything."

"Remember you told me to tell you about anything bad," she whispered and he nodded his head. "Damon was just in my room and he's drunk," she said while looking down at her hands.

"Is he still in there?"

"No, daddy," she said while shaking her head. "Dad, he was drunk and he just left through my window. I asked if he was out driving and he said he was. He doesn't even have his permit yet and he's drunk," she explained. "That's not the worst part, he told me that Mason's throwing a party were I know alcohol will be involved, along with other illegal things since his parents out for the evening and are on the mainland," she said while looking up at her dad. "Dad, Jeremy's probably there too. I need you to go find Damon, I'm worried about him."

"What?" Grayson sighed while going to stand up. "Are you sure Jeremy's there?"

"He goes were ever Mason goes, but daddy it's Damon I'm worried about."

"Okay," Grayson said while standing up. "I guess I get to go raid a party," he said with a sigh while slipping his feet into his slippers.

"Dad?" She questioned.

"I'll go find Damon too," He said while slipping his arm into his robe. "Don't worry Elena, go back to sleep and I'll take care of it. I just can't believe your brother is stupid enough to be participating in something illegal."

"Can I actually come with you, dad?" She asked while standing up.

"Are you sure you want to come? Jeremy and Damon will be upset."

"I know, but I'm really the only one that can handle Damon," she said with a small smile. Elena was the only one that could calm Damon down when he was upset or pissed off about something.

"If you want to come, you better hurry," Grayson said while heading out of his room. Elena quickly followed her father.

Blue and red lights bounced off the large stately home and the many trees lining the long driveway. The Mayor's home was over in the posh gated community of Crest Hill, but the large house was far off from every other house in the small community. The beach with its white sand was just out behind the Mayor's home.

Grayson could see the blue and red lights as he drove up to the house. Elena was in the passenger seat, nervously biting her lower lip and looking out the front windshield. She could see Caroline's mom getting out of the Sheriff's car.

Grayson opened the door before looking back at his daughter. He studied her for a few minutes, before saying, "stay in the car, Elena."

"But Sheriff Forbes is here," she said while pointing to Caroline's mom.

"I know," Grayson said with sigh before he slowly getting out of the car. He turned around to lean back into the car and said, "I'll take care of everything. I just need you to make sure that you get a hold of Judge Mikaelson, Giuseppe and the Mayor."

"Okay," she said while nervously picking up her father's cell phone.

"It'll be okay, Lena," Grayson said before shutting the door and heading towards where Sheriff Forbes stood in her nicely pressed uniform.

Sheriff Forbes greeted, "Doc."

"Sheriff," Grayson greeted back, as he got closer.

"So why I have I been called out here at this time of the night? I don't think the Mayor's going to enjoy use just intruding on him and his family at midnight."

"Mayor's on the mainland tonight with his wife."

"Doc, I hear music and voices coming from the house. Someone's home."

"Mayor's on the mainland tonight," Grayson repeated. "But Mason is home, from what Elena has told me."

"So parent's are out, he thought he would throw a party?" Sheriff Forbes asked while looking back up at the house. "Wonder if they know we are here or not?"

"He's not the only mastermind."

"Jeremy," she supplied.

Grayson sighed as he said, "yeah unfortunately. From what Elena has also told me, that Klaus and Damon are inside too with a few other friends doing your typical type of party tricks," Grayson said with a weary smile. "Also, I have had Elena get a hold of the Mayor and Judge Mikaelson."

"Well, I'll go introduce myself then," Sheriff Forbes said before heading up to the front door.

Elena was sitting in her parent's car, as she watched Sheriff Forbes walking up to the front door. Elena dialed the Mayor's number again. She listened to ringing of the phone as she watched the sheriff knock on the door and Mason appear. She watched the sheriff disappear into the house for a few minutes before the boys were escorted outside.

Grayson waited at the door for his son to appear. He watched the teenagers being escorted out of the house by Sheriff Forbes and none of them looked too happy. Grayson was upset at his son and it showed in his facial expressions. He found his son among the crowed and it made his blood boil as he watched his son smoking and taking a drink from the beer bottle in his hand.

"Jeremy Michael," Grayson yelled, startling the group of teens.

"Dad!" Jeremy said in shock as he looked up at his father. "What are you doing here?" He asked while blowing cigarette smoke out of his mouth.

"What am I doing here?" Grayson said while glaring at his son. "The real question is what are you doing here?"

"Hanging out with friends, but apparently that's ruined," Jeremy said with a glare as he looked in between his friends standing around him, like he was blaming one of them.

"Jeremy, you know that South Carolina has a zero tolerance for underage drinking," Sheriff Forbes said as she walked up to him.

Grayson while crossing his arms over his chest and said "get over here now and hand the beer bottle to Sheriff Forbes."

"Dad!"

"Don't dad me, Jeremy…get over here now," Grayson's yelled. Jeremy finally moved towards his father, putting his cigarette out in the process. He stumbled over to this father and he could see how his father just shook his head at him.

"What dad?" Jeremy asked while taking a drink of his beer. Grayson snatched the beer bottle out of his hand. "Dad!" Jeremy shouted.

"Don't," Grayson threatened.

"Whatever…I'm eighteen, almost an adult, so I don't have to listen to you."

"Your still seventeen until October, try again," Grayson said through clenched teeth. "Your no were near ready to be an adult. Do you not remember what happened to your sister –"

"Dad," Elena said while cutting her father off as she opened the car door. Everyone turned to stare at her. Sheriff Forbes was busy talking to the teenagers and reprimanding them for having a party with alcohol. "The Mayor said he's headed back from the mainland and should be here in a half hour. Judge Mikaelson should be here soon too and uncle Giuseppe said he wants to talk to you," she said while biting her lip and looking at her father, afraid to look at anyone else.

"Good, thank you Elena. Tell Giuseppe I will call him back in a second," Grayson said without looking at his daughter. Elena just nodded her head before sitting back in the car and shutting the door.

"Of course, your favorite kid shouts the alarm and then your worried."

"Jeremy I don't have any favorite kids, I love you all the same."

"Oh yeah, that's right…Katherine was only your favorite." Before Jeremy could think, his father had smacked him across the cheek. Everyone had become silent as they stared at father and son. Sheriff Forbes stared at Grayson with a worried look, before making the rest of the teenagers calm down and began to tell her whose party it was.

"Don't you dare bring your sister into this," Grayson snarled. "You should have at least taken something from her accident. At least your baby sister did." Jeremy stood there holding his cheek and glaring up at his father. "You want me to treat you like an adult, then you have to show me that you're an adult…you haven't showed me that yet. You are still in high school…a senior to be exact and you should be worried about graduating and going to a good college next year, but your not. That tells me that you're not ready to be an adult."

"Dad!"

"Don't Jeremy, I'm not finished," Grayson said through clenched teeth as he stared down at his son. "Mason, can you please get him an ice pack?" Grayson asked the other teenage boy standing closer to them, when he saw how his son held his cheek. "You'll be fine," Grayson said while moving Jeremy's hand away from his face to get a better look. There would defiantly be a red mark on his son's skin. He had never hit Jeremy before; Miranda was the one that spanked Jeremy's butt when he was litte. "But don't you ever talk badly about your sister. She didn't do anything to you. You should have taken something from her, she was driven and a hard worker. Your not," Grayson said while leaning down to whisper something into Jeremy's ear. "I know you've been stealing from the office," Jeremy gulped and looked at everything around him. "That'll stop too, your going to have to shape up son." Grayson took the ice pack from Mason and handed it to his son. "Put that on your cheek, and you'll be fine," Grayson said as he watched Jeremy put the ice pack on his reddened cheek. "Your mother's lost one child Jeremy…she couldn't take it if anything happened to you too," he warned his son and for the first time in his speech, he could see the look of worry and guilt in his son's brown eyes. "Get in the car while I finish talking to Sheriff Forbes."

Jeremy didn't even look back at his friends as he walked over to the car. He found his sister sitting in the front passenger seat and he glared at her. She looked nervous as she watched her brother get into the back of the car. He glared at the back of her head, wishing her to disappear.

"Did dad hit you?" She asked while turning around to face him but he glared at her and she turned back around in her seat after a few minutes of staring at him and not saying anything.

Grayson had spotted Damon standing over beside a pretty blonde haired girl and he pointed at him, before motioning for him to come towards him. "Hand me your keys son."

"Your not my father, I don't have to do anything you say."

"No Damon I'm not your father, but I am your godfather and I'm only trying to help you," Grayson sighed. "Elena's worried about you and if you want to be able to keep being her friend, I would hand me those keys, son." Damon finally pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them over to Grayson. "You should be glad you have such a good friend in my daughter, that she was worried enough to come wake me in the middle of the night to come see if you were okay. You don't need to be driving without your permit or license yet. And you defiantly shouldn't be driving while drunk. What were you thinking?"

"Clearly I wasn't," Damon smarted off.

"Don't get smart with," Grayson warned. "You have your mother and brother you should be worrying about right now. Your poor mother hasn't been doing well, Damon. What do you think she would think if she found out what you've been up too"

"Don't bring my mom into this," Damon said has he fidgeted around where he was standing.

"Damon, I know you have the weight of the world on your shoulders right now with your mom and everything, but this isn't the way to go about it," Grayson sighed. "If you need someone to vent to, I'm always here."

"Okay," Damon said while looking over Grayson's shoulder at Elena sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Okay, well I know Elena would love to talk to you, but you better be nice to her or I won't let you see her ever again. I know you have a temper just like Jeremy does, so don't let it out on my daughter, do you understand me?" Grayson warned.

"Yes."

"Doc?" Sheriff Forbes said while coming closer them. "Judge Mikaelson is here and the Mayor just called me."

"Good, she's waiting in the car," Grayson said while motioning with his head for Damon to go to the car. "Tell Jeremy to come here," he called over his shoulder before turning to face Liz Forbes. "Sheriff," he said with a smile. "That's good to hear."

"I would like to talk to the both of you," Sheriff Forbes said while looking over at Judge Mikaelson, Klaus's father. "But first, are you okay?"

"Yeah, of course. Just upset with Jeremy, he crossed a line tonight with bringing up his sister."

"I have no idea what you and your wife went through with Katherine and I don't want to ever know. I couldn't imagine losing Caroline, she's my only child," Sheriff Forbes said softly and Grayson gave her a small smile.

"What's going on here? Why did you wake me up in the middle of the night?" Judge Mikaelson asked as he came towards them.

"Mason and Jeremy threw a party with alcohol," Sheriff Forbes explained. "As you know, in the state of South Caroline, we have a zero tolerance policy about this. Grayson alerted me this was going on and I stopped over, to find all the teenagers under the influence."

"Niklaus," Judge Mikaelson shouted. Klaus looked a little bit nervous from where he was standing beside his friend's. "Come here," Klaus's father demanded. Klaus stumbled over to his father and glared up at him. "Is it true what they are telling me. Have you been consuming alcohol tonight?"

"Maybe," Klaus mumbled.

"You disappoint me," Judge Mikaelson said with a glare. "I'll deal with you later, after I clean up your mess. Go to the car."

"Yes father," Klaus, said before moving over to his father's car.

"So what are we going to do?" Judge Mikaelson asked.

"Normally would take the kids down to the station and then their parents' would come for them. They would have a fine to pay of two hundred fifty dollars," explained Sheriff Forbes.

"That won't happen," Judge Mikaelson said with a grunt. "Have you spoke to the Mayor since it was on his property?"

"Yes, I have," Sheriff Forbes, explained. "He only wants a fine issued and for everything to be swept under the rug."

"Then that is what we will go with," Judge Mikaelson gruffly said. "You know that zero tolerance law bullshit will stay with them. I won't have that for Klaus. This was small mistake and no was seriously hurt."

"Covering it up again, Mikael?" Grayson snapped at the judge.

"What are you insulating, Doc?" Mikael hissed. "I've never covered anything up?"

"Yeah, you had nothing to do with covering up the accident?" Grayson said with a glare.

"Don't you dare bring my son into this," Mikael growled.

"Boys," Sheriff Forbes said loudly while glaring at both men. "Let's finishing the pissing contest later. Now, you want the fine instilled?" She asked Mikael.

"Yes, Klaus will pay his fine, but he does not need to be carted off to jail like some criminal when we all have done stupid things."

"The Mayor wants the same thing for Mason and the rest of the children too," Sheriff Forbes explained. "I'll have to call both girl's parents' and have them come pick up their children."

"Liz," Grayson said slowly. "I want Jeremy to pay his fine and since he isn't working for me anymore, I want him to complete community service to pay for his fine," he explained.

"That can be allowed," Sheriff Forbes said with a tight smile.

"You don't have anyone down at the station do you?" Grayson asked.

"No, but seeing as this weekend is Fourth of July…it will be packed by Monday."

"Okay then, I want you to arrest my son."

"What?" Sheriff Forbes asked confused.

"Arrest Jeremy," Grayson said with a tight-lipped smile. "I'm teaching him a lesson and I think the only way he will learn, is if I do it this way. You can hold him for three days and I'll pick him up Friday morning. If that is allowed?"

"It's allowed since we are an island community, but are you sure?"

"Very sure," Grayson said with sigh.

Damon climbed into the back of the car, while telling Jeremy that his father wanted to see him again. Jeremy just glared while getting out of the car and heading up the house.

"Damon," he heard the softest voice say and he looked up to see Elena looking at him.

"Don't speak," Damon said while looking out one of the side window. "You have no idea what you just did."

* * *

 **Back To The Present**

"Elena, earth to Elena." She could hear Tyler saying as he waved his hand in front of her face. She blinked a few times before turning to face him.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About what happened," she sighed while biting her lower lip.

"What did happen?"

"That's a long story I would rather not share," she whispered.

"Wait a minute, did he call you Snitch?" She just nodded her head. "I remember my cousin Mason telling me about a burnet haired girl, him and his friend's nicknamed Snitch because she told on them and they all got into trouble." Elena stared at for a few minutes before looking away and wiping a lone tear that ran down her cheek. "That's you? Your Snitch?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, go head and make fun of me," she said bitterly.

"Why would I do that?" Tyler asked confused.

"Because everyone else does," she replied back while looking out on the water.

"I'm not like my cousin, Elena," Tyler said while grabbing her hand. "From what I have heard from my cousin, what they have done to you is a form of bullying. Why do you let it go on?"

"I don't just let them bully me," she snapped.

"Sorry," he said as he watched her. "It's just, does your parent's know?"

"No," she whispered. "They know nothing. Dad was there that night they all go in trouble, but overall they do not know anything about what has happened."

"Why not?"

"It's a long story," she whispered.

"I have all the time in the world," he said while squeezing her hand.

"Damon's mom, Lily…she is my mom's best friend since kindergarten," she explained. "Me and Damon grew up together since the day we were born six hours apart," she said solemnly. "Aunt Lily isn't doing well," she explained. "My parent's care for her as best as they can."

"I don't understand what this has to do with you telling your parents."

"I'm getting to that," she said quietly. "My older sister, Katherine…she, she passed a way in a car crash during graduation night," she explained while trying to make she sure she didn't cry. "If you had told me that morning that she would be gone by that night, because of drunk driving…I wouldn't have believed you," she said while shaking her head and trying to hold back the tears. "My sister was good. She never did anything, and she was just perfect. She was supposed to go to the University of Pennsylvania in the fall to major in biology. She was driven and hard working. It wasn't in her to be out partying and drinking. Yeah she went to a few parties, but she wasn't like my brother or Damon…or even your cousin," she mumbled. "My sister was on life support and my parents had to decide if they were going to keep her on life support or not."

"So your sister passed away?" He asked gently while squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "My mom still hasn't gotten over the accident and now she takes care of my aunt Lily," she explained. "I just couldn't go and tell her that her godson and son are bullying me because of what I did. I don't think she could handle it. She has too much on her plate. I just couldn't," she whispered.

"I can understand you wanting protecting your mom, but I still think you should tell."

"I can't, please just leave it. Damon doesn't bully me that much anymore, anyway."

"Okay, but when your ready to tell or ready to talk, I am here."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I guess I have ruined our date," she said while wiping at her eyes.

"No," he said while shaking his head. "I just got to know you a little bit better," he said with a smirk. "He's still watching."

"Who?" She asked confused.

"Damon," he said while motioning with his head towards where Damon was standing in the shadow, staring at Elena. "He's been staring at you for awhile."

"Probably coming up with a way to get me back for something," she said with a sigh. "Why don't we go get our dinner? Try to make the best of the rest of our date."

"Sure, but he's staring at you as though he's in love with you," he pointed out as they walked off the beach.

"Yeah right, Damon hates me remember," she pointed out as she shook her head of the nonsense.

"Clearly he didn't get the memo," Tyler said as he stared at Elena, to see a look pass through her eyes. "Do you love him?"

"No, of course not," she replied quickly as she showed him over to the restaurant.

They were only at the restaurant long enough to order their drinks and food, before Damon appeared at their table.

"Look who I found," Damon said with a grin.

"What do you want Damon?" Elena snapped.

"What? Can't I visit my best friend," he said while sitting down beside her at the table. She glared over at him.

"Did you just forget our little spat earlier?" She asked harshly. "We're not best friend's anymore, you made sure of that."

"Shh," he shushed her as he grabbed her hand. She snatched her hand back while glaring at him. "Why don't you introduce us? As your best friend, I deserve to know who your dating to make sure they are good enough for you," he said with a smirk.

"You don't deserve anything," she snapped. "Now please go away."

"No, I don't think I will."

"Dude you need to leave," Tyler spoke up. "We both don't want you here and I know what you have done to her."

"So you have told Snitch," Damon laughed. "I also know something about you too, your name is Tyler Lockwood correct?"

Tyler in confusion said, "you don't know me, because we have never met and yes, that is my name."

"Elena, dear have you told him about how I was your first kiss and your first everything," Damon said with smirk as he watched how her cheeks blushed.

"What is he talking about Elena?" Tyler asked.

"He speaks lies. We have never done anything," Elena harshly said as she glared at Damon. "Damon, go away," she hissed.

"Well, has he told you what he did?" Damon asked with a grin.

"What's your problem?" Tyler snapped at Damon. "You're ruining our date and your upsetting Elena."

"So you haven't told her," Damon laughed. "From what your cousin Mason as told me, you've been up to no good."

"Mason's a lair," Tyler snapped and Elena gave him a questioning look.

"So you didn't tell her about the girl you video tape and showed the whole school?" Damon asked quickly and Elena's eyes got big.

"Tyler? What is he talking about?" Elena asked quickly.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about Elena," Tyler rushed out.

"So you didn't video tape the girl while you were having sex with her?" Damon asked with a smirk. Elena just sat there for a few minutes not speaking, just staring between the two guys at the table.

"Tyler?" She questioned.

"Elena, he's lying," Tyler replied quickly.

"Just shut up," Elena said quickly.

"You tell him, Princess."

"Shut Damon," she snapped as she turned to face. "You've finally done," she yelled. "You've finally ruined everything," she hissed as she stood up. "Couldn't just let me have some happiest could you? You clearly were not the person I used to know, because the boy that I used to know. He would never hurt me and that is the only thing you have got done doing today and the past year, is hurting me," she snapped. "Clearly from your display today, I never knew you," she shouted with tears in her eyes. "You have finally done it. Well guess what Damon, I don't care anymore," she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Elena?" Tyler questioned as he went to stand.

"No, sit…clearly you two have more in common than we do," she snapped. "And it's clear I do not know you," she said before rushing out of the restaurant. People in the restaurant watched the young Gilbert girl leave the restaurant crying.

"Thanks a lot. You should know my cousin lies about everything. That girl almost ended me life," Tyler hissed at Damon. "For someone who loves her, you treat her like shit. A girl like her deserves the best. If she was my girlfriend, I would never hurt her and that's what you're doing, you're hurting her," Tyler said through clenched teeth and Damon glared back at Tyler. "And thanks, I almost had a chance with a good girl and ruined it because you're an dick," Tyler said as he stood up. He pulled money out of his wallet and he threw it on the table before walking out of the restaurant to find Elena standing there.

* * *

Elena made her way into her house, trying to wipe the tears away. She couldn't believe Damon would actually ruin her date like that. She knew Damon hated her, but she didn't think he wanted her to be unhappy.

"Elena?" She could hear her mother call to her from the kitchen.

"Mom," she said as she headed into the kitchen.

"How was your date?" Her mom asked as she was looking at a list. There were many bags on the table filled with groceries.

"It was great. He was a prefect gentlemen," Elena lied.

"Good to hear! His father was the same way," Miranda said with a smile.

"How do you know that?" Elena asked. Her interest peaked.

"We have been good friends since we were two years old. Our parents were best friends, so they were always putting us together. Even your aunt Lily was good friends with Richard," explained Miranda. "He was a year younger than me and Lily, so we went off to college, but something happened while we were gone. He disappeared off the island and we haven't spoken since."

"Why?" Elena asked quietly.

"We just grew apart I guess," Miranda mumbled.

"Okay well I think I'm going to get started on my homework," she said before turning to leave.

"Wait a minute Elena," her mom called out.

"Yeah," she said while turning around to face her mom.

"Can you deliver this to your aunt," Miranda said while pointing to all the bags on the table. "I would do it, but I have to go fix a few things at the shop since it's closed today. Our new employee isn't working out."

"Rebecca?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, she's just not getting it and yesterday she cost us money. I tried to give her a couple weeks, but it's now been a month. Either she was going to get it or she just not going to get it."

"Sorry to hear that," Elena said while looking down at the bags. "But yeah, I can take the food over to aunt Lily's…but can I borrow the car?"

"Sure, just be safe," Miranda, said while handing her the keys. "Can you also sit with your aunt for a few hours…I feel bad about not being able to go and Gretchen is with her family for the weekend." Her parents had found someone to be able to come in and live with her aunt Lily and the boys, taking care of them while her parents worked every day of the week, even weekends some times.

Gretchen normally took one weekend off a month, along with two days out of the month. Elena's mom would normally fill in when Gretchen wasn't working, and her mom would normally be the one that would go and get the food each week and take it over to the house. Her mom took those moments to spend with her friend for a couple of hours. Her aunt still wasn't doing any better. The doctor's had taken her off of her medication and that's how her parents found out later on that her aunt was doing different types of drugs since she couldn't get her medication from her doctors. Elena's father was the one that went out and found a good doctor to be able to help Lily and that's where Gretchen came in.

"Of course mom," she said while grabbing the keys and the bags to take them out to the car. Has she opened the back door, she ran smack into Stefan who was coming in. "Stefan!" She shouted as she ran into him.

"Elena," he said quickly while grabbing the bags from her.

"I was just about to come over," she said with a smile. "You didn't have to come all this way," she said as she looked him over to see that her friend didn't look like himself. He looked like what she felt like. "Are you okay?"

"Can I stay the night?" He asked while stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Of course, Stefan…but what's wrong?"

"Stefan, is that you at the door?" Miranda asked as she came to stand behind Elena.

"He just asked if he could stay the night," Elena whispered to her mom.

"Of course, Stefan…come in," Miranda said while stepping back from the door and Elena followed her. Stefan came into the room, he was staring at everything but them. "Stefan dear, is everything okay?"

"I suppose," he whispered. "But mom's not been out of her room since Gretchen left yesterday. I of course went in there to make sure she was breathing, but she's just in there staring at her walls," he explained.

"Well your more than welcome to stay the night, Stefan," Miranda said while giving him a side hug. "I'll go drop the food off and check in on your mom," she said while taking the keys from Elena.

"But mom I thought you had to take care of the thing at work?"

"I do, but Sydney is my manger for a reason…she can take care of it," Miranda explained while opening the backdoor to head out. "Where is your brother Stefan? Is Damon at home?" Miranda asked while taking the bags from Stefan.

"No aunt Miranda," Stefan said while shaking his head. "I haven't seen him since this morning."

"Okay…well get a hold of him and tell him to either come back here or come to the house," she said before stepping out the door. "The foods on the stove," she said with one last smile as she left through the door carrying the bags.

"Stefan," whispered Elena. "If your hungry, like mom said there's food on the stove and then if you want…we can watch a movie?" She suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good," he said with a small smile and she smiled back at him. She was used to the boys showing up at their doorstep because their mom had shut herself off in her room.

"Want me to make you a plate?"

"Nah, I have it," he said while going over to the cabinet to grab a plate down.

"Let me have your phone," she said while taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Why?" He asked while going over to the stove to fix him a plate.

"We have to call your brother," she answered.

"Oh yeah," he said while pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and handing it to her. "You sure you want to be the one that calls him?"

"Eat and I'll do it," she said while clicking through his contacts to find Damon's new cell phone number. She quickly pushed the call button and could hear the phone ringing.

"Hello," a woman answered.

"Hi," Elena said nervously. "I think I got the wrong number. I was trying to contact Damon."

"This is his phone, I'm his girlfriend…who's this?" The girl on the phone asked in a snotty way.

"I'm Damon's step mother and I am calling to tell him that his father isn't doing well. Could you please hand Damon the phone," Elena said in the most business like voice she could. She could hear the phone being passed over to Damon.

"Hello, Maggie?" She could hear Damon answer.

"Hello, my Prince," Elena answered him with his own nickname that she had give him a long time ago when they had been six or seven and had loved playing dress up and house.

"Elena," Damon sighed. "What the hell do you want? I thought you were done with me? And why are you calling from my brother's cell?"

"I am, but your brother's right here in front of me," she said while smiling over at Stefan who was eating his food. "And he said that your mom isn't doing well-"

"What are you talking about?" Damon demanded. "What's wrong with my mom? I just talked to her this morning."

"He says your mom hasn't been out of her bedroom since yesterday after Gretchen left. My mom is head over there right now and she's the one that told us to call you. She also said that you should come over here or head to your house," Elena quickly said.

"Okay, yeah." She could hear Damon reply while moving around on the other end. She could also Adrianna bitching in the background. "I'll head home…tell Stefan to stay where he's at."

"Will do," she replied before hanging up the phone and looking over at Stefan who was finishing his food.

"What did he say?"

"He's headed home," she said while standing up. "He said for you to stay here."

"Of course he did," Stefan grumbled, but gave Elena a small smile.

"So you ready for that movie?" Elena asked while stretching. "I was thinking of a comedy. What do you think?"

"Which movie?" He asked while standing up and putting his plate in the stink before turning around to face Elena.

"I don't know, you can pick," she said while turning to head out of the kitchen. "I'll get everything set up and you can bring the movie up to my room," she said with a smile.

Later that night after the movie had ended and both Stefan and Elena laid there staring up at the ceiling.

"So what did you do today?" Stefan asked quietly from where he laid on a makeshift bed on the floor.

"I had a game," she said while rolling over onto her stomach to stare down at him.

"Did you guys win?"

"We did," she said with a huge smile.

"So that was brilliant how you fooled Adrianna," Stefan laughed.

"I figured Damon deserved it since he ruined my date," she replied back with a smirk.

"Date?" Stefan asked with confusion. "Who are you dating?"

"Not dating, just a date," she replied back with a sad smile. "Your brother ruined it anyway."

"I just don't understand why you guys can't forgive each other. I know he's done some questionable things, but you guys were best friends. When you guys were friends, I at least had my brother."

"It's he who needs to say sorry," she snapped and realized too late that she shouldn't have. Stefan looked at her with wounded eyes. "Sorry, Stefan."

"No it's fine…he does need to say sorry for everything he has done. Slamming your head with the locker door, pushing you down the steps at school, making fun of you in the classroom when the teacher left the room, slashing your bicycle tires," he said quietly has he listed off everything Damon, Jeremy and their friends had done to Elena. "He really does need to say sorry for everything he has done, even if some of the things he didn't do, but he could have stopped it."

"I actually don't want him to," she replied quickly.

"Why?"

"Because I'm done," she said slowly. "Today I finally saw the one thing I didn't want to see or hear ever," she said while biting her lip. "I finally realized I don't know your brother at all."

"I'm confused, but you both were best friends."

"We were, I thought," she said sadly. "But today I learned that he doesn't really care for me…and he couldn't have ever, because he was horrible to me today. I'm just done. I don't care any more. I'm done being expected to be his protector; it's only ever gotten be in trouble and having him mad at me. The only thing that I've ever got done doing was protecting him from himself and every damn time, he was upset with me. I'm done and I just don't care anymore. I want to move on," she explained.

"I wish Damon wasn't who he is right now, because I know that's not my brother," Stefan replied while looking up at her. "I wish there was something I could do, because you were actually good for him. It's like he's running from the good inside him, like he doesn't want to be good anymore."

"It's okay," she said with a yawn and she looked over at her clock to see it said one in the morning. "We need to get to bed so I can wake up early and go to the clinic," she said before yawning again as she moved her blankets around her.

"Night Lena," Stefan said with a smile.

"Night Stefan," she said with a grin towards him before turning the light off.

* * *

 **Dream -**

 _She was standing in front of Giuseppe in his home in Charleston. Her mom was talking to Giuseppe about her aunt Lily and the help he had given with finding her a good doctor. Elena looked up at the stairs that she knew would lead her to Damon's bedroom, but she was nervous to take the first step. She was scared that he would be upset with her. She knew how he got, but he had never once been mad at her._

 _"Elena dear, weren't you going to go see Damon?" Giuseppe asked while studying Elena's nervous behavior._

 _"Yeah," she sighed with a little laugh. "I was lost in my thoughts there for a second. "Second door on the right?" She asked over her shoulder as she took a step on the stairs._

 _"Correct," Giuseppe said with a smile. "Don't let his room scare you. He hasn't cleaned it since he got here." Damon had been at his dad's since the whole scene outside of the Mayor's home and it was now the beginning of August. Giuseppe had came the next day and told Damon that he was to pack his bags because he was leaving for the rest of the summer to stay with him in Charleston. Elena hadn't been there for that, but Stefan had let it slip a few days later that Damon was gone. Elena dearly missed her friend, since she hadn't been able to see him for so long._

 _She wandered upstairs and towards the second door on the right. She stood there for a few minutes, taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself. She reached up slowly and knocked on the door quickly, like she was afraid to touch the door, like it would burn her._

 _"Go away!" She could hear Damon's voice say through the door and it send a chill down her spine. The voice that spoke could not have belonged to her best friend, this voice sounded very tired and very dark. The voice reminded her of someone who had been beaten so badly that they were ready to demand blood for what they had gone through. She knocked on the door again. "I said go away, father. I do not wish to sit at dinner with you and Maggie. She's nearly my age, father!" She could hear Damon growl. "I can't sit at dinner with you and that woman and keep my mouth shut."_

 _"Damon," she quietly said through the door. "It's me, Elena…not your father." There was silence for several minutes._

 _"You can go away too. I have nothing to say to you."_

 _"Damon, please open the door. I really would like to see you," she begged. "I'm sorry." She again was met with silence. "Damon, open the door please," she begged. And again she was met with silence. "Damon…if you do not open this door, I will pick the lock…just like you showed me last summer," she said with a faint smile. She stood there for several minutes of complete silence before she heard the lock click open._

 _It took her a few minutes before she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. She walked in, but had to stop because she could see how dark the room was. Damon was standing by the large window, his back facing her. He wore all back and blended in with the darkest in the room. Elena could feel that chill again run down her spine._

 _"Damon?" She questioned as she took a step into the room. The room was cluttered with clothes and various other items and wasn't like Damon's neat bedroom on island._

 _"Say what you have to say and then go," Damon hissed without turning around._

 _"I'm sorry Damon," she whispered. "Please turn around. I would like to see your face while I'm talking."_

 _"You don't want me to turn around, Elena."_

 _"Damon, please," she begged. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I'm sorry that you got in trouble and got sent here –"_

 _"You mean to jail," he hissed as he spun around to face her with a glare on his face._

 _"I'm sorry," she said again. "I'm sorry that you got in trouble and got sent here. That wasn't my plan," she said while biting her lip. "I only wanted you safe."_

 _"So your idea of safe is getting me sent here, to my own personal hell and having your brother get sent to jail for three days?" He cackled._

 _"No, but at least you father cares enough to come and get you out of trouble. What were you thinking?" She shouted. "I only wanted you protected and your mad at me. "_

 _"Well you have a funny way of showing it," he hissed._

 _"I messed up. I'm only human Damon. I didn't think my father would react that way," she said while shaking her head. "You have to understand, he still grieves for Katherine…and both you and Jeremy in his mind are important to him and he just got scared and over reacted a little bit," she tried to explain._

 _"It's not him that I have the problem with," Damon growled while stepping closer to her. She never backed up; she stood her ground and glared at him. "It's you I have the problem with, because I told you to keep your mouth shut. Your supposed to be my girl, Elena…and you go and get me and my friends in trouble with information I gave you," he hissed and she winced. "Now how does that look to my friends?"_

 _"Then they're not your friends, Damon?" She shouted._

 _"They're more my friends than you are. At least they keep my secrets and don't go shouting them to everyone."_

 _"I'm sorry," she said again, but this time in a raised voice. "I came all this way here to say sorry to you. Please forgive me, because I was only trying to protect you. You scared me that night," she said while biting her lower lip. "I thought that maybe if I told, then nothing bad would happen to you…like it did to Katherine."_

 _"I don't want your apology, just leave…what you did cannot be forgiven," he shouted as he took a seat on the bed._

 _"Your over reacting Damon," she said through clenched teeth. "You're acting like a little drama queen because you got sent here," she shouted. "You get to come back to the island in the fall and you live like a damn prince here."_

 _"You think you know everything," he snarled as he looked up at her._

 _"Your dad isn't has bad as you say he is," she said while shaking her head at him. "Just forgive me. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I meant to keep you safe."_

 _"Then you live here," he growled as he looked up at her with a menacing look._

 _"He's not my father."_

 _"Be glad he's not."_

 _"Stop being a child," she hissed. "You have a life that only a few can dream of."_

 _"Want to trade?" Damon hissed back. She looked away from him before walking over towards where he was sitting. She leaned down when she got closer to him and he watched her every move._

 _"My Prince, I'm sorry…please forgive me. I never meant for you to get in trouble or sent here. I was only protecting you," she said while touching his hand and that's when his whole demeanor change. Before Elena knew it, he had pushed her. She fell back on her butt, hitting her head on the wall. Elena's eyes were wide as she looked up at her best friend. His eyes were darker and he looked half craze._

 _"Damon," she croaked out while reaching her hands up to touch her the back of her head. The back of her head was sore, and when she looked at her hand there was no blood and she was thankful for that. "Damon," she said again in panic, trying to get his attention. "Why?" she tried to shout but it came out as a whisper. "Damon!" She shouted again, while trying to get his attention._

 _Something inside Damon broke in that moment as he looked down at the one person who had his heart and that he truly cared for. He could see the terror in her eyes as he stared at her. He scrambled across the bed, hitting his back against the wall across from the one Elena had hit. He had to get far away from her. He couldn't ever hurt her again. He couldn't forgive himself for hurting her, because he was supposed to protect her. He began to rock himself back and forth, while whispering: 'No, I can't be like him. I'm not like him,' he kept repeating that over and over._

 _Elena sat there while touching the back of her head. She winced while she touched the back of her head again and she stared over at Damon to see his odd behavior. She slowly crawled over towards Damon._

 _"Damon," whispered Elena as she touched her friends shoulder._

 _"Don't touch me." She heard Damon cry._

 _"Okay, I won't touch you," she whispered. "I'm okay," she said slowly. "Are you okay?"_

 _Damon looked up at her and he had tears in his eyes, before saying, "How can you be so forgiving? I can't forgive you, but you can forgive me."_

 _She just began to cry before saying, "It's okay…I'm okay." She fell back on her butt, while looking at him looking down at his hands and began to rock back and forth again, while saying: 'I can't be like him.' His hands were covered in faint bruises from what she could see and it peaked her interest. She wanted to ask him about the bruises, but was afraid to._

 _"What are you talking about?" She asked slowly. "Your Damon…my best friend," she paused._

 _"I can't be your friend Elena…you don't know how to keep secrets," he harshly said. "Go tell my dad and whoever that I was mean to you."_

 _"Damon," she said slowly. "Maybe you should talk to someone while you're here with your dad. I think you need to talk to someone. You've had the weight of the world on your shoulders and your not handling it well."_

 _"Don't tell me what I can't handle," he snapped while looking up at her._

 _"Damon, maybe you should tell your dad that you would like to go talk to someone about different things dealing with your mom, and your parent's divorce," she said before quickly standing up. "I'll be waiting on the island for you, but I think with in these last few weeks that you need to talk to someone. Your not my Damon," she whispered._

 _"Get out," he snarled. "I could never forgive you. That's the difference between us, you're the good one and I'm the bad one. Why should I hide it," he snarled._

* * *

 **Sunday Morning -**

Elena woke with a startle and Stefan was leaning over her. Stefan was trying to shake her wake.

"Elena!" Stefan shouted while shaking her.

"Stefan," she said with trembling lips as she looked up at Stefan. "Stefan?" She said again. "What are you doing?"

"You were tossing and turning…whimpering too," Stefan said with concern. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Just a memory," she said after a few minutes of complete silence, of them watching each other.

"A memory?" Stefan questioned. "Anything you would like to talk about?"

"No," she said slowly while looking over at her clock to see that it was four thirty in the morning. She slowly sat up and rubbed at her eyes. "I'm fine Stefan, just a memory I wish to run from."

"If your sure?"

"It's okay, but I think I'm going to get up and go for a run," she said while stretching.

"At this time?"

"Why not?" She laughed. "I have to go into the clinic in a few hours, so I'm going to go for a nice long run before hand," she said while climbing out of her bed. "But you can go back to sleep, unless you want to come with me?"

"I couldn't keep up with you, if I tried," he laughed.

"Well, you can take my bed. I'm betting the floor isn't comfortable."

"No its not," he laughed while flopping down on the bed. "Are you sure your okay?"

"Positive," she said with a smile. She had perfected at how to hide her emotions from everyone but Damon; he still knew when she was lying. She began to pick out her running clothes, before heading towards the bathroom that was on the second floor.

* * *

She sat on the beach looking up at the sky, tracing her fingers through the sand as she watched the sunrise out at sea. It was a beautiful sight and something she knew she would miss when she went to college and finally moved out of her parent's house.

"God, what is wrong with Damon?" She asked while staring up at the sky. "He isn't the Damon I used to know. Can you bring back Damon…my best friend?" She asked as she traced their names into the sand before standing up. "That is the only thing I want…I want Damon back…I want my best friend back. He's changed so much, that he's a completely different person that I don't even know anymore," she said while looking down at her watch to see that she would be late to the clinic if she didn't get a move on.

She took off in a dead run towards where she knew the clinic was. She raced down the beach towards the road where she knew would lead her to the animal clinic.

* * *

She was coming down the stairs when she heard the front door opening, so she quicken her pace because she knew her was her mom was coming home.

"Mom!" She said in a happy tone, but it quickly died when she saw Damon coming in behind her mom.

"Elena," her mom greeted as she came into the kitchen, Elena following in behind her, glaring at Damon as she passed him.

"I fixed breakfast already," she explained as she pointed to the stuff on the stove. "Stefan's up and getting dressed, he already had his breakfast too."

"Your dad?" Miranda asked while getting a plate down.

"Dad's still a sleep, he was up pretty late last night looking over paper work," she explained. "I can go wake him, since I have to go change," she said while turning to leave.

"I can do it," Miranda said while placing the plate with food on it now, in front of Damon. "I'll get my food when your dad does, we still got time," Miranda said while ruffling Damon's hair as she walked pass.

"Thanks aunt Miranda," Damon said before digging into his food.

"Your welcome, sweetie," Miranda said with a smile towards Damon, who grinned back at her when he saw Elena glaring at him. "Did you go to the clinic?" She asked her daughter.

"Yeah, got there early and just got done early…so I made breakfast since I knew you were busy with aunt Lily," she explained. "How is aunt Lily by the way?" She whispered to her mom as her mom followed her out of the kitchen.

"She's doing fine, Lena…it's just going to take awhile before she's whole again," explained Miranda. "You better go get dressed," she said before heading towards her bedroom.

Elena just nodded her head before going back into the kitchen to grab a glass of milk before heading upstairs. "So why are you here?" Elena asked Damon as she opened the fridge.

"Your mom invited me," Damon said without looking up from his food. "And what are you wearing?" He asked while looking up at her. She could have sworn she saw a flicker of emotion behind his blue eyes, but she had been wrong because as quickly as she saw it, it was gone.

"My bed clothes," she said while looking down at the grey nightie with sleeves she had on that hit her about mid thigh. It was very lightweight and soft. She was only wearing a pair of boy shorts under it. "When me and mom where Charleston a while back, she bought it for me at one of the Victoria Secret shops." She explained while bending over to get a carton of milk out of the fridge, before turning around and placing it on the table. Damon was watching her the whole time. The damn slip she was wearing, was riding up her thigh, hovering just below her butt. He had a hard time concentrating on his food and he watched her walk over and get a glass down.

"You should go change," he spit out. "No one ones to see that," he said while waving at her.

She just huffed at him while pouring the milk into the glass. "Well you don't have to look."

"I wasn't, it would burn my eyes if I did," he said while looking down at his food.

"So I'm guessing your going to church with us?" She asked while placing the glass at her lips, before taking a drink.

"Yeah," he said while looking over at her.

"I though you didn't believe in that stuff anymore. So what made you change your mind?"

"Maybe I'm hoping God will forgive me," Damon said quietly. "Maybe there's a girl involved that is so pure that I'm afraid my sins would eat her alive if I don't go and ask forgiveness. Maybe I'm hoping by going, she will notice me again," he mumbled and she just began to laugh.

"Sure, like I believe that," she laughed. "Whoever she is, I feel bad for her." He just smirked down at his food.

* * *

In the small church, Elena sat between Damon and her mother as the Pastor spoke about the bible before beginning to talk about a missionary work that their sister church in Charleston was planning on making down in Educator in July for three weeks.

"I would like for all of you guys to join us," the Pastor explained with smile. "I've brought our tour guide to explain more of this missionary work we will be doing while there." Elena tried to listen to the tour guide explain the missionary working that they would be doing if they go to go on the trip. She could feel Damon's hand tracing lines up and down her hand. She tried to pull her hand away, but he tightened his hold he had on her hand.

"We will be living right there with the community that we are trying to help. You will be spreading the word of God and bringing medical material to local hospitals and health centers. If you get to come, you will be providing support to people still displaced by eruption of Tungurahua. While you are there, we would like to get fresh drinking established in the various communities disrupted by the eruption of Tungurahua." The tour guide explained. "Pamphlets are being passed around to explain prices and a little more of what you will be doing if you come. We hope that everyone gets to come, because the more helping hands, the better. We will be having a conference over the trip in the coming weeks."

"Can I go mom?" Elena whispered to her mom.

"Elena, it'll cost too much," Miranda whispered back. "We probably would only be able to pay for one person and you can't go by yourself to another country."

"The Pastor and his wife will be going," Elena pointed out.

"Elena, we'll talk later," Miranda, said while shushing her daughter to pay attention to the Pastor.

Has the church sermon was ending; Elena was getting up and picking up her purse. She felt Damon pulling on her arm, trying to get her to follow him. Elena ended up following him out of the church pew and towards the back of the church where a room was.

"Damon, let go of my hand," she said while trying snatch her hand back.

"Why?" He taunted as he grabbed something out of his pocket that looked like a flask.

"Damon!" She hissed. "This is a church, put that away."

"No," he laughed. "Your too innocent."

"Damon," she said while trying to take the flask away from. "You can't be drinking in church and then go driving, that is just stupid and irresponsible."

"Everything okay in here?" Sheriff Forbes asked. "Your parents are looking for you Elena."

"Okay," Elena said quickly. "Actually something is going on," Elena said while moving over to Caroline's mom. "Damon has a flask of alcohol," she said while pointing over to Damon. "It's in his left pocket."

"Damon, do you have alcohol on you?" Sheriff Forbes asked.

"No ma'am, Elena doesn't know what she's talking about," Damon said while glaring over at Elena.

"Damon, empty your pockets," Sheriff Forbes said while putting her hands on her hips. Damon sighed before finally emptying his pockets to show that he did indeed have a flask. "Damon, you know what happens now."

"Yeah," Damon said with a sigh while glaring at Elena and she did a little wave towards him.

* * *

 **A few minutes later –**

Elena was making her way into the coffee shop, while tying on her apron. She could hear Stefan behind her, and she turned around to smile at him as he was getting ready behind the counter. He normally worked the counter and she normally worked in the back with her mom.

"So I saw you and Damon disappear into one of the back rooms in the church, what was that all about?" Stefan asked with smirk.

"Nothing," she said while shaking her head. "Just Damon being stupid, but it cost him this time."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked while tying his apron around his waist.

"Well he had alcohol and he was being Damon, except this time Caroline's mom showed up," she explained. "I might have told Sheriff Forbes about the alcohol he had on him."

"Why did you do that?" Stefan asked in a raised voice.

"Because he shouldn't have had it."

"But couldn't you have looked pass it?" Stefan asked while looking down at her.

"Maybe, he probably thinks I did it to get him back at him for yesterday. When in reality I did it to help him. He was being stupid, Stefan and he got what he deserved."

"I can't believe you did that," Stefan shouted. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"He'll be charted down to the sheriff station, yes," Elena said with a shrug. "Your dad will probably be called. "

"That's the point," Stefan yelled a little bit. "You have no idea what you have done."

"Your dad will probably be a little bit upset, but it's not like Damon doesn't need to be kicked in his butt a little bit," she said while turning to go into the back room.

"Elena, you have no idea what you've done," Stefan snapped.

"Stefan, your brother needs to grow up. I was only trying to protect him. He needs to learn."

"Couldn't you have just taken it from him?"

"He wouldn't let me, but it's not like your dad is going to hurt Damon."

"Elena, you shouldn't have done that."

"Maybe so, but I did," Elena snapped. "I did what I thought was best."

"Well I hope your right," Stefan hissed.

"Are you guys ready?" Miranda asked as she came out from the back area to find her daughter and Stefan glaring at each other. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Both teens said quickly as they stared at Miranda.

"So which one of you wants to turn the sign over?" Miranda asked with a smile.

"I will," Stefan said with a glare towards Elena.

"I'll come help you," Elena said while rushing off behind her mom to the backroom, knowing that Stefan was too upset with her for her to stay out in the front area of the shop.

* * *

 **Later that night –**

Elena was taking the trash out of the café to the large trashcan out back when she ran smack into Damon. She dropped the trash bag and it banged when it hit the ground. She was afraid to look up at him, she knew that he would be mad at her.

"Get out of my way," Damon snarled at her as he grabbed her wrist.

"Let go of me and I might. What, trying to get back at me for earlier?" She hissed back as he tightened his hold and she winced. "You deserved it, you shouldn't have had the alcohol," she snapped. "Damn it, you're hurting me." She tried to yank her arm back, but he began to roll up the sleeve of her shirt up.

Damon slowly rolled up the sleeve to find a faint old bruise on her wrist. He stared at the bruise for a few minutes before looking up at Elena. He knew his own hand had created the bruise on her wrist and he didn't know what to say to her. He dropped her hand as though she had burned him and he turned around quickly. Elena watched him began to walk away.

"What? Running away? Your good for that" She yelled at him. "Afraid to face what you've done? Afraid to see what you left on my wrist?" She watched him stop quickly, but not turning around to face her. "You're a coward...turn around and face me," she yelled at him. Damon stood there for a few minutes before walking way into the shadows.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, I hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter. I am so sorry I am late with getting it out, but it took me forever to write it. I had so many ideas for it, so many ideas I had to get out. I hope it didn't overwhelm you and I hope you took a few things for it, the important things, because they will come up again. Thank you all for reviewing on my story and being patient with me. I can't believe all of you like this story, that means a lot to me.**

 **Okay, so this chapter kind of tells what happened between Elena and Damon, but not all of it. We are so far from learning what happened between Damon and Elena. Well partly what happened between Damon and Elena. But I hope you enjoyed remembering the past with Elena. I hope you guys aren't too mad at Elena and Damon. This chapter is very emotional.**

 **How many of you hate Tyler now? Just wondering.**

 **Damon-Elena-Fever:** Thank you for your review. It's not really what Elena did, but he blames her for it. No, it doesn't give Damon the right to treat Elena horribly.

 **jairem:** Thank you for your review. Then you probably really hate Tyler now and are going to hate me next chapter. Why Damon is the way he is, is still to be explained.

 **Florayezi:** Thank you for your review. I am glad you like the story.

 **cesy:** Thank you for your review. Maybe this chapter answered your questions, if not ask again and I will try to answer.

 **Imagination Run Wild:** Thank you for your review. Well, you did learn part of it. Yes, Damon is very possessive of Elena, as been since they have been young. He literally thinks that she is his.

 **anima:** Thank you for your review. Glad you like story and hope you like this chapter.

 **Dove:** Thank you for your review. Well, I hope you enjoyed finding out what partly happen. Still more to come.

 **kfulmer7:** Thank you for your review. Oh, they always think of each other.

 **sorrybout'ya:** Thank you for your review. Well, you get to find out what partly happened.

 **Quinn:** Thank you for your review. I am glad you love this story so much and I'm sorry. It just took longer than I thought to write it.


	9. Confrontations

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Heads up, might be a little boring for some until the of the chapter.****************

 **Next chapter will be up Feb. 6th or the 7th.**

* * *

Victoria Academy was busy with students moving from their lockers to their classes. No one was allowed to be late, your points docked from your grade. Even though it was only seven twenty-five in the morning, the students were full of activity, trying to get to their classes and get books/notebooks out of their lockers. The bell hadn't yet rang to signal the beginning of first period, but teachers were already issuing orders to students. The squeaks of shoes on the polished hardwood floors could be heard as students moved around.

Elena stood at her locker, pulling out her AP French books and honors chemistry books since both of her classes were on the other side of the school. She grabbed the check her mom had given her for her soccer camp in June, and shoved it her locker. She was supposed to give it to her coach before practice. She placed her books, notebooks and pencils in her bag before turning around to walk down the hall towards her AP French class. The halls were jammed pack with students moving to their classes. Elena kept her head down and tried to keep up with the flow of traffic, before she ducked into her class. She had about made it to the back of the class when she heard her name being called. She turned around to see who had called her name, when she came face to face with Tyler. Her heart thudded against her ribcage at the sight of him. She was beyond nervous at seeing Tyler, since they hadn't talked since Saturday, when everything blew up in their faces because of Damon.

"Elena," Tyler greeted. "Are you sitting back there?"

"Oh," sighed Elena while looking down at her feet. "Yeah," she said while turning to head back towards the desk in the back. She didn't know what she would say to him, because she hadn't really thought about what had been told to her. She didn't know if she should believe Damon or not.

"Elena, wait," said Tyler as he came closer to her. "I was wondering if we could talk. For me to explain everything to you."

"I – I, I don't know," mumbled Elena.

"Please, I deserve the right to explain everything to you. Give me that right. My cousin is a lair and so is your ex-friend."

"I know they can lie," she whispered.

"Then give me a chance to explain," he begged.

"Okay, fine. During lunch in the library, at least it's Monday and not Tuesday, or I would have had to have my weekly meeting with the Freshman I talk to for Students Organization For Developing Attitudes," she explained.

"Okay, good!" He said with a smile. "Now are you going to sit beside me?"

"I – I," stuttered Elena.

"Class please get in your seats beside your partners," Mr. Beaulieu their French teacher said as he came in the room. Mr. Beauliue was an older gentleman with graying hair. Mr. Beaulieu had a very stern look about him and most of the kids that were taught by him, called him a hard-ass.

Elena sighed before making her way over to where Tyler's stuff was sitting. She took a seat beside him, and gave him a weak smile.

"Now class, time to quiet down," Mr. Beaulieu said in French while grabbing a stack of papers that had all of his student's names on it. "Morning announcements will be coming on."

Over the PA, everyone could hear their headmaster saying, "Good morning my fellow Victorian's, today looks like a bright day. Let us continue having a good day, today! Just a reminder, all of your applications for clubs and organizations are due next Tuesday, April 1st. The forms need to be turned back into the office. Remember being in a club or organization here at Victoria Academy is a privilege not a right." Elena listened quietly to her headmaster, while taking down dates he mentioned. Mr. Beaulieu kept looking up at his student, before marking something down on his paper.

Headmaster Wickermen took a deep pause before saying, "Your teachers have your schedule applications for next year and they are due April 25th. Please turn them back into the office," Headmaster Wickermen said over the PA. "Inside your packets that you will be given, are classes and schedules of when you can take them. To my freshman and sophomore's, inside your packets will be information about if you need to take a extra class this summer or if you need to do a do over. A reminder to my juniors, inside your packet you will be given a sheet of paper with the classes you will need to take next year to be able to graduate and how far you are from graduating next year. My seniors, you will also be getting a packet for graduation with information about how close you are to graduating and what percent you will need to get on your final exam to graduate, along with information about graduation. Your tickets will be available for pick up at the end of this month in the office."

Headmaster Wickermen took another pause before saying; "I would love to give a shout out to our boys varsity soccer team for winning last Friday night and to the girls varsity soccer team for winning last Saturday also. Good job guys, keep up the good work." Another pause from Headmaster Wickermen before he said, "Student council election will be held on April 11th before you go on spring break. We will take time out of the day to hold elections. Have a bright day my fellow Victorian's and learn much today!" Elena chewed on her pencil before writing down the dates in her planner.

"Okay, class I will handout the packets at the end of class. But now we move onto our projects. We are beginning our projects today," Mr. Beaulieu explained in French. "Both you and your partner will be researching regions of France," explained Mr. Beaulieu in French. "I will be passing around a hat with the regions that you and your partners can choose from," Mr. Beaulieu explained in French. "Now, the packets being passed around," Mr. Beauliue mentioned in French while passing around a packets of paper. "Within the packet that is being handed out, you will find elements that I want you to research and write about. Those being," Mr. Beaulieu, said in French while making bulletin points on the white board.

Elena pulled out her notebook and began writing down the bulletin points her teacher wanted in the report. She chewed her pencil as she listened to Mr. Beaulieu list the points.

Point One: Major cities, river/lakes, and borders

Point Two: History of Region

Point Three: Population

Point Four: Weather

Point Five: Traditions, Languages, religions, educations

Point Six: Pick three from the list provided in the packet.

"I want at least twelve pages or more for this report, but please keep it under twenty," Mr. Beaulieu said in French as he turned around to face his class. "I want you guys to not only write twelve pages of a report, but I also want a powerpoint with the points mentioned in your report. I want you to write a page or two in your report about what you knew/thought about the region before you started. I want you guys to tell me what you like and dislike about the region and compare the region to the country," Mr. Beaulieu said in French as he read off the packet to his students.

Elena looked through the packet, seeing how much detail there was going to be for the project. She could see that during the presentation that they had to make a regional dish or find music or make pamphlets about their regions.

"During the presentations, you will be provided with a handout that you guys are going to have to fill out about the presentations you see. The handouts are very important because the information in them, will come up on your final exams," explained Mr. Beaulieu in French.

"I also what to have a roundtable after the presentations, so you guys can compare and contrast notes with each other. All of this is going for a final grade on your project," Mr. Beaulieu smiled at his students. "This is going for forty percent of your grade and the presentations will be happening during the week of May 26th to the 30th. Your presentations must be fifteen minutes long and your reports are due May 30th."

Mr. Beaulieu kept smiling at his students. "Even though this is a big project, it won't take up our time of class and getting ready for your final exam on June 2nd. It is your job to do this outside of class and it must be a fifty – fifty project between you and your partner. If I find out that both you and your partner didn't share equal roles, your original grade will drop a letter." Elena winced at the thought of having to work with Tyler, if they didn't make up. "I will set three days aside until presentations are due, where you will work on your project during class and if you have any questions for me, that would be the time to ask me. I also will be meeting with you outside of class to discuss your projects."

"I guess we have a lot of work," whispered Tyler and Elena nodded her head slowly.

"Now class, it's time to choose your region," Mr. Beaulieu said in French before passing out a hat. The hat went different groups in the classroom before settling in front of Elena and Tyler.

Elena looked over at Tyler before placing her hand in the hat and pulling out a slip of paper. She read the slip before saying out loud in French, "We got the Alsace Region."

"A very nice region," Mr. Beaulieu said in French as he smiled over at Tyler and Elena. "It is a cultural and historical region. I think you will take a liking to it Miss Gilbert," he said in French as he smiled at his star pupil.

"Now since we only have fifteen minutes left in class, let's get ready for Monday's quiz." All the students groaned at the mentioned of their weekly vocabulary quiz.

* * *

 **During Fourth Period (French Literature & Cinema) – **

Elena took a seat in her fourth period class, nervous about how lunch was drawling closer and how she would have to talk to Tyler. She was scared to talk to Tyler, because she didn't know what she believed about the situation that was told her or if she wanted to believe Tyler innocent.

She pulled out her notebook and pencil, getting ready to take notes down about the video that they would be watching. They had been reading a book written by a French author and they were now about to watch the film that was made about the book. She was actually excited about watching the film and was hoping it would clear her head about the upcoming confrontation.

"Anyone in the Le Crecle Francasis Club, we will be having our last meeting of the month on Wednesday and anyone wanting to join next year need to remember to fill out a application," explained Ms. Oakley in French with a smile.

* * *

 **During Lunch –**

Elena dragged her bookbag into the large library that the school had. She found a table in the back that was quite and no was around. She placed her bag down on the table and pulled her book out, along with her packed lunch. She was in the process of taking a bite of her apple when she could feel someone standing in front of her. Looking up at the person standing beside her table, she found Tyler standing there watching her with a smile.

"Can I sit?" He asked while smiling at her.

"Free country," she said while closing her book.

"I first want to say that I am sorry about our date being ruined," he apologized.

"You don't have to apologize, it was Damon's fault anyway," she said while looking over at him since he sat across from her at the table. "The real question is, did he tell me the truth about you. Did you video some girl while having sex with her and then show the whole school?" She asked bluntly.

"No," he said while shaking his head. "I would never do something like that. I think it's a sick thing to do, especially if the other person doesn't agree or doesn't know."

"Then why did he bring it up or that your cousin would tell him that?"

"Because my cousin is a lair," Tyler said with a sigh. "I should start from the beginning and then you'll understand."

"That would be a good idea."

"So I had a friend back at my last boarding school, William Dorsey. His father was an oil tycoon. We shared a dorm together and he was into the girls and the girl weren't that into him, unless they wanted something for him. There was this girl there that had a thing for me. She had long blonde hair and she was busty."

"Of course she was," muttered Elena as she took a sip of her drink.

"Don't worry, that's not my type of girl," Tyler laughed while pulling out his own lunch and biting into his sandwich. "I have a thing for brunettes who are stubborn, smart and knows how to give me a piece of her mind if I have done something wrong," he said with a smirk and she could feel her cheeks warming up and she knew that she was blushing.

"Keep going, what about this girl?" She asked while eating some of her yogurt.

"Georgina Rylann…like I said she had a thing for me, but I didn't show her the same attention," he explained. "She took every chance she could get to put herself beside me. It got to the point that it was annoying," he said with a grimace. "One night during a party, Will and Georgina got so drunk and slept together. I had already hightailed it out of there and towards the library to help a friend of mine, because she had text me all in a panic about a test she had the next day and needed my help studying."

"So how does a video come into play?"

"That's where I'm getting to," he sighed. "The next day, Georgina came up to me, excepting me to remember the night we shared," he said with air quotes. "But of course I had no idea what she was talking about. She went as far as to tell the whole school that we slept together and when I denied it, it pissed her off," explained. "It didn't just piss her off, it pissed Will off that Georgina…the girl he was crazy about couldn't remember that they slept together," he said with a sigh. "So he posted a video of them together that night, all over the school."

"So your telling me it was your friend, Will?" She asked as though she didn't believe him.

"Georgina thought it was me that showed the video, because she didn't believe that Will and her slept together. Everyone began to tease and make fun of her, every time I said it wasn't me that she slept with. She even tried to use the video as evidence that we slept together." He grimaced as he went to say, "her father the headmaster found out about the video and called the police. I got arrested and I was detained and questioned by the police. They said they were going to give me jail time for showing a video that I taped of Georgina without her consent and showing the whole school. It got to the point that people were starting to say I raped her, which was so far fetched."

"Then why aren't you in jail?"

"Because when they finally let me go, telling me not to leave the dorm, I found Will's camcorder stashed in his book case right in front his of bed and all of his tapes of the girls he had video taped while having sex with them. I provided them to the police and Will was arrested. I was erased of any charges and the headmaster apologized to me, but Georgina still doesn't believe it."

"So you were friends with a pervert and probably a rapist?"

"I knew Will had his issues with girls, but I didn't know he liked video taping them without their consent," he grimly said as he threw the last piece of his sandwich back into the bag before putting it in his lunchbox. "I hope you believe me because that's the truth."

"Why would your cousin go around telling that information, making it look like it was your fault?"

"Because my cousin is a liar," Tyler sighed. "His family was over for a couple weekends last summer and overheard our parents talking about what had happen. He asked me about it and I told him the truth," he explained. "And he told me everything he had been up to with the drugs and the alcohol…and how he had been bullying you," he sighed. "So I told my mom who told dad and dad went to uncle David and told him what his son had been up. Of course they made a show of out of grounding him and that pissed Mason off," explained Tyler. "So he got me back and he's been going around telling people that I was involved."

"Yeah, Mason can be a lair," sighed Elena as she took a drink from her cup. "He's made up lies about me and him together, which isn't true and would never happen," she huffed. "To a point, I was happy about getting him in trouble, he deserved it."

"Maybe if his parents would have listened to my parents or would have taken in what he had done and how he had been arrested, maybe he wouldn't be in prison right now."

"Prison?" She quickly said in surprise. "I thought he was living in Miami."

"Yeah he was," chuckled Tyler. "Drug deal gone bad."

The bell rang signaling that lunch was over before Elena could say, "I would say that maybe that will help him, but it's a proven fact that in half the cases it doesn't."

"Do you believe me?" He asked while standing up and throwing his trash into his lunch box.

"Yeah to a point," she whispered while throwing her lunchbox into her bag and grabbing her book.

"Will you go another date with me?" He asked slowly. "Please, give me chance to do a do over…but this time not on the island," he said with a grin.

"Give me sometime to think everything over."

"Okay," he said while following her out of the library. "You're going to go home and research the case aren't you?"

"Maybe," she whispered with a faint smile.

"When you figure out that I didn't do that and I wouldn't ever, will you give me another chance?" He asked as they stood in the hallway, getting ready to go their separate ways.

"I'll think about it, but thank you for being honest with me," she said with a smile. "I should get going or I'm going to be late to my next class."

"Text me when you want to meet for our project," he called out as she turned to leave and she turned back and nodded her head in agreement before running down the halls to her next class.

* * *

 **March 27** **th** **2008 (Thurs) –**

Elena was sitting at the kitchen table has her mom was busy cooking dinner. She had her applications speared out around the table as she filled them out. She was on the application for National Art Honors Society. Biting her lower lip, she tried to read through the application, while not thinking about how she found out that Tyler really didn't have anything to do with video taping someone while having sex with them and a part of her was happy. She was happy enough to give him another chance and she had a date with him after her soccer game on Saturday.

"What are all those for?" Miranda asked her daughter.

"For different clubs at the school for next year," explained Elena as she looked up at her mom who was at the sink washing her hands.

"How many do you have there?"

"Like nine," she said while counting through them.

"How many?" Her mom repeated.

"Nine," she answered. "I know a little much, but I don't think I'll get accepted to be in all of them, so why not try out for as many as you can," she said while looking back down at her application.

"Just promise me that you'll enjoy your childhood," Miranda smiled as she stirred the sauce that was on the stovetop. "And aren't you doing cheerleading in the fall again?"

"I will and I'm thinking about it. Try outs are at the end of this month," laughed Elena. "I'm not sure I want to be apart of this organization anyway. I know my art teacher would love me to, but I'm not sure," she said while showing her mom which organization it was.

"Why don't you want to be apart of this organization?"

"I – I just don't know," Elena mumbled.

"Elena, if you been asked by your teacher that's incredible and you should be proud of yourself," Miranda said with as smile as she patted her daughter's shoulder. "I know I'm proud of you!"

"I know, she wants me to join because of my photography," she said with a faint smile.

"That's really good, sweetie!"

"I just know that I won't be going into the art field when I get into college," sighed Elena. "I know dad wants me to go into the medical field."

"Elena, my dear daughter," Miranda said with a sad smile. "We won't care what field you go into, only that you are happy and are making money to live on."

"But he got mad at Jeremy for choosing to major in art studio."

"Yes, your father would like little mini me's of himself, but he would be happy with anything you do…only that you are happy. He understands that you're not him or Kat."

"But he was so happy to have Katherine going to his college."

"Yeah he was happy," Miranda said with a smile while taking a seat across from her daughter. "But we also understand, as your guys parents…just how different you are from each other." Miranda paused to stand up and go back to the stove, checking the noodles. "Katherine was determined, tenacious and hard working…she was confident in everything she did. She was a perfectionist and focused on her studies. She was just like your father and would have made a perfect doctor," Miranda said with a proud/sad smile. "But you and Jeremy are more like me, more artistic," Miranda said while looking off in the distant. Her mother growing up had wanted to be a writer, but life happened and she got married and became a mother. "Jeremy's my artist and unlike you and Kat, he's more introverted," she said with a short laugh. "I can see it in him all the time, he thinks about art every single day and what his next drawing is going to be. He has an imagination that I could never dream of and he's passionate…and he could be a visionary, only if he would ply himself." Miranda smiled to herself.

"Yeah, Jeremy loves to draw…so why doesn't dad support him?" She asked while looking up from her papers.

"Jeremy might be passionate of his work, but he's very hypocritical of himself and rebellious to boot," Miranda said with a disappointed smile. Miranda turned the stove off, pouring the sauce over the meat in the pan. She turned the heat off the noodles before turning around to face her daughter. "But you my dear, are my wild, playful child. Your sister might have been like your dad…but you remind me of myself when I was your age. Mom and dad would always be upset with me when I would disappear for a couple hours to write." Miranda said with a sigh. "But you haven't been that way in a year or two. You haven't been my bold, artistic daughter in awhile and it worries me," she said sadly.

"I have just my priorities straight right now and Victoria Academy doesn't graduate students who are bold and artistic. They graduate intelligent students, that go onto Ivy League schools."

"Elena…you're not just wild and playful," Miranda sighed before walking over to her daughter and taking a seat across from her. "You have this very vibrant personality that just makes everyone like you. Your very open minded and perceptive…but also patient and emphatic towards people and animals," Miranda said while squeezing her daughter's hand. "Your bold when you want to be and so compassionate…and your curiosity will always get you in trouble," Miranda laughed.

"Mom your bias, because you're my mother," Elena laughed a little bit while staring at her mom.

"Yes I am, because I know how special you are," Miranda said with a smile. "I just wish you would realize that you are not your sister…you are Elena…my beautiful daughter who loves photography and animals."

"You're just saying it so I will think about joining this organization."

"No," Miranda said while shaking her head. "I'm just wondering what the big change has been in these last few years, sweetie. You and Damon aren't friends anymore, and you have become so determine to be on the go constantly and so studious, so unlike the daughter I used to know," Miranda sighed. "What's going on?"

"Damon didn't want to be my friend anymore after I went to Victoria Academy. You know Damon, he's stubborn and loves the attention to be on him," she sighed. "He said that I was paying too much attention to my studies than being his friend." She had came up with this lie when her and Damon had stopped being friends and when she had decided to go to Victoria Academy after getting tired of being made fun of.

"Promise me you'll remember to be a kid," Miranda sighed as she stood up and went back to the stove, dividing food on different plates.

"I will mom," sighed Elena as she began to look through the packet her teacher had given her filled with the schedules for classes next year. She began to look through the different classes being offered.

"Hello my beautiful ladies." They both could hear Grayson say as he came into the kitchen. "What smells so could?" He asked while hugging his wife and kissing the top of her head. Elena smiled at her parents, seeing the love they shared between each other. Her parent's love made her wish for the same thing when she got older.

"Spaghetti," Miranda replied while turning around to kiss her husband on the lips. "How was work?" She asked as she pulled away to smile up at him.

"My favorite," Grayson replied with a smile as he took the plate she offered him. "And good…just a long day."

"Hi daddy," Elena said with a smile as her dad took a seat at the kitchen table. She began to move all her paperwork out of the way.

"What's all this?" He asked his daughter.

"Applications for clubs and organizations next year and these are the schedule of classes I can take next year too," she said while she looked down at the list of class she had already been looking at. "I actually need you to go over my class schedule and sign it, so I can turn it back into the office."

"When it's due?" Her dad asked while taking a bite of his food.

"By April 25th," she said while reading the date off the packet. "But I would like to get it finish, so I can finish working on my campaign for senior class president."

"I'll take a look at it this weekend," he replied before taking a drink out of the cup that his wife had handed him.

"Here Elena," Miranda said while handing her daughter a plate. "Put those away and we'll worry about them later." Elena shoved her papers in her bag and grabbed the plate her mom was offering.

"This is really good mom," she said as she took another bite.

"Good to hear," Miranda said with a smile as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

"So I was wondering how far you are on your Model United Nations project? How's your researching coming along for your country?" Her father asked her before taking another bite of his food.

"Good, I'm almost finish," she said with a smile. "I should be ready Sunday."

"Your things at ten, right?" Her mom asked before taking a drink.

"Yeah, so I'll have to miss church and I won't be able to go to the clinic, because I have to be at the school at nine," she said before taking another bite of her food. "Is it okay if I borrow the car?"

"Of course honey," Miranda said with a smile.

"Hey, so I was wondering if you guys have talked about the Educator trip?" Elena asked her parents without looking up at them, afraid of what she would see.

"Elena, that trips a lot of money that we just don't have," Miranda sighed. "I wish I could send you, but we just don't have the money."

"And you don't need to be going out of the country without me or your mother," Grayson said in a gruff voice. "It's just not safe to send a teenage girl to another country by herself."

"But I will be with the Pastor and the other church people."

"You're you not going, Lena. That's the end of the discussion," Grayson sighed. "We don't have the money and it's not safe to send you out of the country by yourself."

"Fine," she sighed. "But it would look good on my college application," she huffed.

"Lena," her mom sighed. "You also have your soccer camp in Florida in June that we are paying for."

"I know," huffed Elena.

"But this should make you happy," Miranda said with a smile. "Your aunt Jenna called a few days ago and asked me if you would want to come visit her in New York for a week and a half. She said you guys could hit up some colleges up there, maybe visit the Hampton's?

"Really?" Elena asked excitedly. "When?"

"See you get to have a trip," Miranda said with a grin. "Now would you really want to come back from visiting your aunt and then have to fly down to Educator for three weeks before school starts?"

"I would be okay with it," Elena said with a smirk. She had dreams of traveling and taking pictures of everything. She wanted to be free and not have to live by a set of rules, but she knew that was only a dream. "When does she want me come up?"

"Around the beginning of July," Miranda said before taking a bite of her food. "You'll have to contact her and set everything up."

"Okay, I'll contact her later," she said with a smile.

* * *

 **Later on –**

Elena was sitting on her bed, fiddling with her phone as she dialed her aunt's number. She didn't have to wait long before the phone began to ring and then she could hear her aunt's voice. Her aunt sounded like a young twenty something when she was actually forty-one years old, but you couldn't tell it when you saw her. She was big shot realtor in New York City, while her husband was a professor of history at New York University.

"Elena?" Her aunt Jenna said into the phone.

"Hi aunt Jenna," Elena said with a smile. She truly loved her aunt, even though she only saw her every couple years. Her aunt was married and living a lavish life style in New York. Her aunt had been given all the inheritance from the Sommer family, while her mother was left out in the cold for marrying her father. Her mother's parents did not like that their daughter had married a farmer son's from New Hampshire. Her grandparents had thought her father was beneath them.

She never had the pleasure of meeting her grandparents because they had already passed away in a tragic accident while on vacation in exotic country. They had been enjoying a plane ride around these beautiful falls when their plane went down. She never understood how her mom's parents could hate her father so much, but they did and they had kicked her mom out of her inheritance and out of the family, while giving everything to Jenna their youngest daughter and wild child.

"How is my dear niece?" Jenna asked.

"I'm doing well, just working my butt off since it getting close to the end of the year."

"Remember to live a little and be wild," Jenna laughed. "But then again there's not much to do on the island, is there?"

"No," Elena laughed. "So mom told me that you want me to come visit!"

"Yes, me and Alaric would love for you to come visit. So would the girls, they miss you." She got a big smile on her face when she thought about her aunt's two young daughters, Kyli and Alysa. Kyli was ten years old and Alysa was just five years old. She loved both of the little girls.

"I miss them too!"  
"So I was thinking, June 30th to July 8th?" Her aunt asked. "You would be here for Fourth of July and that could be a lot of fun to celebrate in the Hampton's!"

"Sounds like a blast," Elena said with a dreamy voice.

"So what do you want for your birthday?"

"My birthday isn't' until the 22nd of June," she laughed.

"I know, but gives me time to plan."

"I don't know," she said while chewing on her lower lip. "I don't need anything and whatever you get me, I'll love it. Hell if you don't get me anything, I'll just be happy you remembered my birthday."

"Lena, be reasonable, your getting something," Jenna laughed. "Now make it easier on me and let me know what you want."

"I got everything I could need," she said into the phone.

"Okay, make it hard on me," Jenna laughed. "Now anything new?"

"No, just been busy with school," she said while thinking of things that had been going. "I met a boy," she said while bushing.

"Really, a boy!"

"Yes, his name is Tyler," she said with a blush.

"So you like this Tyler?"

"Maybe," she said while trying not to laugh. "We're going on a date Saturday."

"Dress pretty and he better be on his best behavior!"

"Dad's already gave him the clear," she laughed.

"So besides the boy?"

"There's this missionary trip the church is doing in Educator and I would love to go, just to be able to see the world outside of South Carolina and to able to say that I did this on my college application, would be nice too. I just think it would be really cool to go help the people, you know that I've been wanting to do things like this, but mom and dad say it cost to much," she rambled.

"How much is it?" Her aunt asked.

"Over a thousand dollars," she whispered. "I know it's a lot of money, but I remember Kat telling me how much fun she had with you for her sixteen birthday when she went with you guys to Japan."

"That was a fun trip…and I think every young girl should be able to experience the world before she leaves home," Jenna said with air of happiest. "But so did your great grandma. She took your mom to England and France, while she took me to Italy."

"Mom says that was her most favorite trip, beside her honeymoon with dad to Florida." She could hear one of her little cousin asking a question to her mom.

"Can you hold on, Elena?" Jenna said before putting the phone down. She could hear her aunt and little cousin talking through the phone, before her aunt Jenna came back onto the phone to tell her that she had to get off and help Kyli find something that she had lost.

* * *

 **March 29** **th** **2008 (Sat afternoon) –**

 **(POV - Damon)**

There were clouds overheard, the sun was trying shine through, but there were too many clouds. There was a chill to the air as the winds were coming off the ocean. The lights from the lamppost around the main street on the island were shinning brightly and illuminating everything it touched. The streets weren't that busy, only families were seen coming in and out of the shops and the restaurants.

Damon was busy making his way down the sidewalk to the spot behind the grocery store to pick up the shipment of beer that Klaus had bartered off of one of the employees that worked there. He hated doing Klaus's job, but since Klaus had been forced to have dinner with his family, he was stuck getting the beer. He was just glad that it was nighttime and the employee was an old friend of theirs that had graduated from high school a year before.

Has Damon made his way across the street; he pulled his leather jacket tighter around him. He pulled out a cigarette, putting it between his lips and lighting it. When he looked up from shielding the cigarette from the wind, he noticed Elena coming out of the grocery store. He noticed that she was wearing a dark red cami with a peplum silhouette. The cami had crochet detail and a scoop neckline. She had her hair up in a high ponytail and she was wearing a little bit of make – up. He studied her from where he was standing, he could see that she was wearing the olive green military style jacket that he had bought her, but what got him was the demin mini skirt she was wearing. He studied her a little longer, realizing he hadn't seen her dressed like that in a long time and it made him smile.

Moving across the street and right in front of Elena, who was busier watching where she was walking. He managed to bump his shoulder into her, making her stumble a bit. She looked up at him with a surprised look, before glaring at him.

"Damon!" She said, before going to move around him.

"Princess," he said with a smirk as he let his eyes linger on her, as he looked her up and down. She was beautiful, too beautiful that it should be a crime. "Where you going dressed like that?" He said while taking a drag of his cigarette.

She wrinkled her nose at him, before saying, "not that's any of your business, but I'm going on a date."

"Who would want to date you?" He sarcastically said and she jutted her chin out as she glared up at him.

While rolling her eyes at his behavior before saying, "what is your problem?"

"Nothing, you just ran into me."

"Whatever," she said while rolling her eyes at him again before walking around him, slipping in her dark flats. He watched as she walked a few feet before stopping and beginning to take her flats off, wincing as she did. She stood back up, holding her flats she turned look back at him, before saying, "I want you to know Damon, that I am sorry for telling Sheriff Forbes that you had the flask." She stood there staring back at him. He walked towards her, stopping just a few feet and she stared up at him. They stood there staring at each other. "What?"

"Who are you going to meet?"

"Like I said, not that it's any of your business…but Tyler."

"Even after what I told you he did?" He threatened her as he came closer to her, grabbing her wrist, wanting to shake her.

"Let go of me," she hissed. "I was trying to be nice by telling you I'm sorry and now your going all barbaric on me."

"What I don't get is, why you would want to be with someone like him? After what he did?"

"He didn't do it, Mason lies…again, not that it's any of your business," she snapped and he blew cigarette smoke in her face. She hurled back her hand and smacked him. They both stood there staring at each other. "What happened to you?" She asked as she looked up at him.

"You should know, you were there," he hissed as he threw the cigarette down, stomping on it.

"For the thousandth time, I'm sorry. Just tell me what I have to do, to make you who you used to be… or nicer," she yelled. He glared down at her, before pushing her into the shadows. "Stop, what are you doing?" She fought him as he pushed her up against a wall.

"Princess, I know you're sorry," he sighed as he placed his face against hers. "You have to know how much power you control over me –"

"What the hell are you talking about?" She snapped, trying to push him away from her. "Damon, stop!" She wasn't scared of him and he knew that.

"No, I don't think I will," he said as he nudged his nose against her neck, taking a deep breath of her scent and it smelled like lavender and vanilla and it calmed him. "You don't realize the power you hold over me, do you? You don't realize that all you have to do is ask, and I'll do anything." She smelled the cigarette smoke coming off him and it made her want to gag.

"Your crazy," she said while pushing him away. "If that's true, you would stop your shit," she hissed.

"You haven't asked the right thing," he said as he glared over at her. "Go have fun…while it last."

"What?" She said in disbelief as she shook her head. "Are you on something?"

"No, I'm thinking very clearly," he snapped. "Go have fun while it last…take my advice Princess."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, but its a promise," he said with a smirk before winking at her as he turned his back to her and walked off.

Damon made his way back to the small dock where him and Elena used to spend time when they we were skipping school or spending time together. He took a seat at the dock; letting his feet hang over, touching the water a little. He looked out at the surrounding lake and the trees that circled it. His mind was on Elena and the conversation that they had just had. He knew that he had pissed her off, but he also knew Elena and that she would move pass it, going back to ignoring him. The thought of her dating that preppy guy made his blood run cold. He didn't want her dating anyone but him, but she would never look at him again the way she used to. Pulling a beer bottle out of the pack that he was supposed to deliver to Klaus so they could get drunk tonight, he put the cold beer bottle to lips and took a long drink.

After getting to halfway of the bottle, he sighed and looked out on the water. Elena was his world, his life, but she didn't know that because he couldn't tell her the one thing that he needed to tell her. The secret he kept was a dark secret that he didn't want anyone to know, but of course his little brother knew part of it.

He looked down at his beer bottle, before letting it dangle between his legs. He sighed at thinking about how gorgeous she looked and how Tyler was probably enjoying right now. He wanted to destroy Tyler and he had been sure when he had told Elena of what Mason had told him about his cousin, that Elena would stay afar away from him, but she didn't. He already knew that Tyler wasn't good enough for her, no one was, not even himself, but he would try like hell to be. He just needed figure out how to get his Star back, his Princess back and he knew that was something that was going to take time, time that he didn't want to take. He also knew that he would have to change, but he wasn't so sure if he wanted to change. He just wanted Elena beside him, without having to change. Everything changed so quickly after his father left his mother, everything went down after that and he missed the old days.

Lifting the beer bottle to his lips, he could hear laughter and it made him turn around quickly, but nothing was there. He turned back around, still hearing the laughter and he knew that what he was hearing was him and Elena has they came down the trail. He turned around again, to look out at the trail to see a thirteen-year-old version of him and Elena. They looked happy and free. He watched Elena has she ran ahead of him, he watched her run pass him, throwing off her cover-up and jumping into the water.

"Come on slow poke," thirteen-year-old Elena taunted as she moved her hair out of her face as she stood up in the water. The water came to about her stomach, and he knew that if it had been deeper, she wouldn't have jumped in.

Damon watched his younger self slowly walk down the dock, taking his clothes off one at a time, before he dove into the water. He could see the scared look on Elena's face, when his younger self didn't reappear above the surface. He watched her panic, as she searched for him before being pulled under the water.

"Damon!" She screeched as she came up out of the water after a minute, spitting water of her mouth.

"Sorry, Star," he sweetly said as he came closer to her, trying to wrap his arms around her.

"Leave me alone," she said while swatting him away.

"I'm sorry Star…I wasn't thinking," he said while wrapping his arms around her and she melted into him. He knew how it scared her to be under the water for too long, he knew why. When they had been younger, she had almost drowned when they had been out playing in the ocean and the ocean had strong tides that day. They knew that they shouldn't have been down by the beach that day playing in the ocean, but of course she wanted to break the rules and he followed her. Ever since that day, she had been terrified to be in any water where she couldn't touch or under water for long period of times or in tight places in the water. But she loved the water too much to not keep coming back; she just wanted to be able to touch the bottom.

"No you weren't," she huffed while slapping him in the chest.

"I really am sorry Star," he said with a smile. "I would do nothing to hurt you."

"I know, you're my best friend," she said with a smile as she swam away from him. "This is nice," she said as she let herself float on her back.

"But we should be in school…were missing all the work they'll be handing out," he grumbled as he watched her, her dark hair pooling around her.

"Oh hush, in two weeks we will be out for summer break," Elena giggled. "You're an honor student, Damon…don't worry so much and live a little."

"But we have exams and one of these times were going to get caught," Damon sighed as he swam over towards her. "Some of us have to study, and not just quickly read the book and know everything."

"You'll do fine on them." She let out a big breath of air, before standing back up and going towards him. "Your smart Damon."

"Not like you," he said with a grin.

"Oh hush," she laughed. "I can't wait until I can graduate and get out of here."

"Where do you plan on going?" He asked.

"Somewhere exotic, with palm trees and white sandy beaches," she said in dreamy voice. "I want to travel and never look back. I want to just be free and not have to listen to a set of rules or anyone but myself. I want to take pictures; I don't want to be a doctor. I know that's what dad wants from me, since he can't get it from Jeremy and now that he doesn't have Kat."

"And what will I be doing?" Damon asked. "And don't worry about your dad, do what you want."

"Of course you will be with me," she said with a blush appearing on her cheeks. "You will be helping me with my luggage," she giggled.

"So what, I'll be your butler," he laughed. "You want to know how I see it going?"

"How?" She asked.

"I see both of us traveling together and we'll have a butler of course…because I'm not carrying any of your suitcases, you can take all the pictures you want and…just enjoying life and not listening to anyone…never coming back to the island."

"We'd have to visit once or twice, my parents live here," she said with a smile. "I know you want to leave because of your parents and the divorce, but I can't ever truly leave the island…it's home," she said wistfully.

"It is home," he said with a smile before grabbing her and she squealed.

Damon watched the younger them being kids and not caring about all the stupid stuff that was there lives now. He missed the good old days, when him and Elena would skip classes because she got an itch to be wild. She used to be the rebellious one, and he was the studious one…oh how the times had changed.

* * *

 **To my fellow readers and reviewers, thank you guys! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope it wasn't too boring. In this story, everything that you read has a reason and you must remember it. I hope you enjoyed the small part of Damon remembering a time with Elena when they had been younger.**

 **Now how many of you are surprised that Elena herself was rebellious and Damon was the studious one? Does anyone believe Tyler?**

 **You guys will love the next chapter, something happens to our characters.**

 **BlueEyes1992:** Thank you for your review. I am glad you agree with Elena, she only ever wants the best for Damon. So what do you think of Tyler now? I am glad that you are enjoying the story, thank you!

 **meigs37:** Thank you for your review. I would say Damon's on the destructive path, not Elena. Elena's only trying to protect Damon, even though he clearly doesn't want her to.

 **Human Delena:** Thank you for your review. Yes, they have complicated history and it's only going to more complicated before it gets better.

 **Damon-Elena-Fever:** Thank you for your review. Did Giuseppe or his wife abuse Damon? I cannot tell you, you'll have to keep reading to find out.

 **Cesy:** Thank you for your review.

 **Lucia:** Thank you for your review. Elena's father didn't abuse Damon, do you mean his father abused him? They used to be best friends, like twins almost and yes, she does everything she does to protect him, because she loves him.

 **jairem:** Thank you for your review. He wasn't horrible to her, until he started hanging out with Jeremy. I hope you enjoyed the little part of Damon remembering a time with Elena, when they had been thirteen. Oh no, he changed when he started hanging around Klaus and Jeremy.

 **Florayezi:** Thank you for your review. I hope you enjoyed the flashback in this chapter. Stefan knows part of it and Damon is miserable with his father, he hates his father.

 **kfulmer7:** Thank you for your review. Damon is fighting against himself right now. So you think his father has done something to him?

 **Imagination Run Wild:** Thank you for your long review. Damon is struggling with himself and her brother, is fighting with himself because of his dad and Mason didn't help any. Elena does have bad luck. There was a point when Damon understood Elena's reasoning behind not drinking, because of her sister. I see you do not like Damon? Do you believe Tyler did what he did? Yes, Damon does bully her. No, what they have done couldn't easily be forgiven, that means something big is going to have to happen, but what? Don't worry about Elena, she strong and doesn't let people get to her.


	10. Things Have A Way Of Coming Back To You

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Heads up this chapter might be a little sad at the ending. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'm a little nervous about updating and putting this chapter out here, because I haven't been able to give this chapter the attention it deserves.****************

 **Next chapter will be up March 5th or the 6th, depending on how everything goes until then. I am really sorry I didn't update now, but I have been sick for the past week or two and I just starting to feel a lot better.**

* * *

 **April 4** **th** **2008 (Friday)**

The big game of the season, the game between the two rival schools and every seat was filled. The stadium of Bulldog's was decorated in the navy blue and dark grey. The stadium was so crowded that it was to the point that there was nowhere to sit. On each side of the soccer field, you could hear whistles, and cheers when the Victoria Academy boy's varsity team made their first score of the evening against their rival school.

A loud round of booing came through the crowd when the other team made an easy shot into the goal. Elena sat between Bonnie and Taylor as they cheered their team on. Bonnie about threw all of her popcorn all over the place when the referee made a call that said the goal their team had made was not going to count.

"Are you kidding me?" Bonnie shouted as a few stray pieces of popcorn fell out of the bag it was in as she stood up. The home side was screaming at the referee, agreeing with Bonnie that he had a made a bad call.

Elena just smiled over at her friend as she pulled Tyler's hoodie tighter around her. The air had a chill to it for early spring and Elena was upset that they had a light rain drizzling abound them. All three girls had forgot to bring their rain jackets. Taylor was sporting her boyfriend's hoodie, along with a ball cap with said boyfriend's number on it. All three girl's faces were done up in face painting.

Elena's back and butt were beginning to hurt sitting on the hard seats and she was beginning to get cold. Shivering as she clapped her hands together as their team went to make a shot, but missed.

"They need to get another goal…or we're going to be tied," Taylor said loudly as she leaned into Elena. She had to agree with her friend as she looked over at the scoreboard to see that they were in deed tied and they only had a few more minutes before the game was over. "Ethan's not going to be happy," Taylor noted.

"I don't think any of them will be," Elena said while she bit lower her lip and looked over at the scoreboard again, before taking a big drink of her strawberry slushy drink.

"Hey so I was wondering," Bonnie said as she took a seat again.

"Yeah," Elena said as she looked over at her friend.

"I'm going dress shopping for the school formal next Saturday," Bonnie said before she whistled at her boyfriend taking the ball to run it down the field. "I know I'm behind and the formal is like at the end of the this month, but would you like to join me?"

"Yeah, sure. I haven't actually bought my dress yet. I really don't want to go, but I know because of student council I have to be there," she sighed.

"Wait, hasn't Tyler asked you?" Taylor asked, as she butted into their conversation.

"No," she said while shaking her head no.

"But aren't you two dating?" Bonnie asked.

"No, he hasn't asked me," she said with a blush. "We've just been on dates."

"And been inseparable since you guys went on your first date. I just figured you two were dating," Bonnie said before clapping at something the team had done.

"I don't know, he just hasn't and we haven't been on many dates yet."

"You two like each other, right?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah," she said while blushing more. "But he hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend yet."

"And this is the twenty-first century…ask him," Bonnie said with a grin. "Don't wait around, just ask him."

"You think, I've never had a boyfriend or asked anyone out before."

"Oh yeah!" Taylor laughed. "Ask him and I bet you a hundred bucks he will say yes."

"Yeah, don't wait around for him to ask you," Bonnie said wit ha smile.

"Okay," she said with a smile. "I'll think about it."

"Good, so we on for next Saturday?" Bonnie asked. "When you ask him out and he say's yes…ask him to prom too."

"I'll think about it and yeah, I just have to ask mom if it's all right if I go," she said with a grin. "Would it be okay if I invited my friend, Caroline? She's always planned for both of us to go dressing shopping since we were little."

"Yeah, more the merrier," Bonnie said before standing up to shout at the referee and Elena began to laugh.

A familiar chant began to begin up on the home side and the girls joined in, showing their school pride. Soon the whole stand was singing and shouting the familiar song of the Bulldogs'. The rain was beginning to kick up, it was now a downpour and most of the people in the stands were either taking out their umbrellas or leaving.

"Folks this game just got a bit more interesting," the announcer said over the speaker. "We are tied with only five minutes left in the game. It's anyone's guess to who's going to win or if we'll have to go into over time."

"Come on boys," Bonnie yelled. "Don't let Wistful beat us!" The rain was really beginning to pick with a strong wind. "At least we only have four minutes left," Bonnie said with a smirk and Elena shook her head at her friend.

Elena stood up at the sight of Tyler running the ball down the field and towards the goal. She sucked in a breath of air as she watched him kick the ball into the goal as she heard someone behind her say that it was the end of the game. She let out the breath she had been holding and yelled really loud as she saw the whole team crowding around Tyler. They had won the game, with only a one point ahead.

"Your boy did it…we won!" Taylor said with a grin as she clapped. "You should go congratulate him."

"I think I will. I can't believe he just got the winning shot," Elena said with a huge smile as she began a face pace walk down the steps and towards the field as everyone was already beginning to pick up their stuff to leave since the rain was getting worse. Tyler hadn't notice Elena running towards him, until she had leapt into his arms and about knocked him over.

"You won!" She said while hugging him. Tyler couldn't keep the smile off his face has he hugged her back as he spun her around. He could see some of his teammates grinning at him; others were making faces at him.

"I did," he said as he put her back on her feet and she grinned up at him. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips for the first time. Elena after a second began to kiss him back. There were small fireworks and Elena was hoping with more kissing practice that there would be more fireworks. "Thank you!" He said as he pulled away from her and she was blushing. Her face felt like it was on fire. Everything felt right in the split second for Elena and she didn't want it end. She missed moments like those.

"Will you be my boyfriend?" She mumbled as she looked down at her feet.

He placed two of his fingers under her chin and raised her head up to look at him. He could tell that she was embarrassed, but he found it cute. He leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips, before pulling back to see her wide eyes. She looked up at him confused.

"What?" She whispered.

"Of course. I would love to, I was just trying to find the right time to ask you," he said with a smile and she couldn't help but blush more as she grinned up at him.

* * *

 **April 11** **th** **2008 (Friday)**

Elena was going to her locker from the gymnasium as the last bell of the day rang. The student council elections had just ended and all of the students were happy to finally be able to go on spring break. Elena had been nervous for the elections, but some how she came out the winner. She was now considered the 2008 – 2009 senior class president of Victoria Academy and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.

Everything had been going good for Elena since the soccer game. The only problem for Elena was that Tyler hadn't asked her to prom yet. Opening her locker, she had to gasp at the sigh of a single red rose in her locker, on top of a cute little note. Pulling the note out of her locker, a huge smile appeared on her face as she read the note. Two prom tickets fell to the ground and she had to lean over to pick them up. A grin appeared on her face as she study the tickets that she had help design with Taylor. The ticket showcased her photography with mini size pictures of the plantation they would be using a long with beautiful pictures of a stunning garden.

"Who's sending you roses and cute little notes?" Tyler asked as he leaned against the locker beside hers and she turned to look at him, holding the rose.

"Oh…just a very handsome guy," she said with a smirk. "He left this in my locker. You wouldn't know who it was, would you? I would like to thank him." He began to grin at her and she couldn't stop from smiling.

"No," Tyler laughed. "Should I go find him and make sure he knows you're my girl," he said with a grin and she laughed.

"Oh stop, I think they know," she giggled.

"You like it?" He asked with a smile as she nodded his head towards the rose.

"I do," she said as she took a deep breath of the rose. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"Your welcome!" He said before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on top of her head.

"My answer, is yes," she whispered as she looked up at him with a huge smile. "I'm supposed to be getting my dress this weekend…I'll text you the color," she said as she closed her locker door and they began to walk down the hallway the parking lot, since it was the start of spring break. She had no soccer practice until next Friday.

"I will be waiting, my lady," he said with a laugh as he bowed and she swatted at him.

"Oh stop," she laughed as she shook her head at him.

"I wish I could see you this weekend."

"Me too," she said before leaning up to kiss him.

"Text me when you can meet for our project," he whispered against her lips, before kissing her. "I should be back around Wednesday."

"I will," she said as she opened the door.

"Tyler!" They heard one of his teammates call.

"Better go, coach wants to talk before we leave for spring break," Tyler said with an eye roll. "I'll text you later."

"Yep!" She said before watching him turn around to leave.

* * *

 **April 12** **th** **2008 (Saturday)**

"Come on Elena," Grayson called. "I have a meeting at twelve and we still have to get on the ferry."

"Coming dad," Elena yelled from upstairs has she tried to figure out how to put her hair up. "Is Caroline here yet?"

"No…didn't you tell her what time we were leaving?" Grayson called up the steps.

"Honey it's only nine-thirty, you still have time," Miranda said as she came past her husband carrying bags filled with crafts inside them. "Let her have some fun, this is her first prom."

"She's only picking out a dress, Miranda. She's too much like you," Grayson said with a smirk.

"And that's a bad thing," Miranda said with a grin as she made her way into the kitchen. "Discussing our children…where is your son?" She asked as she poked her head back into the living room.

"Probably still asleep," Grayson said with a sigh. "I wouldn't even bother trying to get him to help you with the Easter baskets."

"Well Elena was supposed to be helping me," Miranda said while pulling out the different items out of the bag.

"Knock, knock," Caroline said as she knocked on the back door while opening the door.

"Caroline," Miranda greeted with a smile. "Elena should be coming down."

"Why don't you go tell her to hurry up," Grayson said as he came into the kitchen.

"I'm here," Elena said out of breath. "You can blame your son," she said with a smile towards Caroline.

"What did Jeremy do this time?" Grayson asked while picking up his car keys.

"He's worse than a girl in the bathroom," Elena said while picking up her purse. "Want me to help you with that when I get back?" She asked her mom as she picked up one of the candy pieces on the table.

"Nah, I'm going to have your brother help me," Miranda said while putting fake grass into one of the Easter baskets. "But I will be at the church late helping set-up the Easter eggs for the Easter egg hunt tomorrow…so can you make the desserts and bake good for tomorrow's dinner."

"Sure, are we talking cookies?"

"And an apple pie, some cupcakes, maybe a carrot cake…you know what to make."

"Okay, yeah I'll make a few different things when I get back," Elena said while following her dad outside. "Is aunt Lily coming tomorrow?"

"Of course," Miranda said with a smile. "You better hurry or your dad is going to leave you," she said with a laugh.

"Elena, let's go." They could hear Grayson yelling.

"Coming," Elena called as she gave her mom a smile before rushing out the door.

* * *

"Grandma Rose is supposed to be in tomorrow," Caroline said as leaned forward toward the front of the car.

"Really?" Elena asked as she looked back at her friend. "What about the rest of your family?"

"Nope, just grandma Rose. Everyone else said that they don't want to deal with getting to the island tomorrow," Caroline said with a small smile. "Dad's not too happy though."

"What about you Bonnie?" Elena asked as she looked over to her friend.

"Going to visit family in Savannah," Bonnie said with a smile. "So where are we going first?" Bonnie asked.

"Doesn't matter to me," Elena said with a smile.

"So Jeremy's home?" Caroline asked.

Elena sighed while saying, "yeah, unfortunately."

"At least he goes back tomorrow night," Caroline said with a smile.

"That's true, but I also have to deal with Damon tomorrow."

Caroline laughed while saying, "that's right."

"Yeah, at least they're just not staying the night," Elena said while smiling. "I don't have to deal with Damon sneaking into my bed."

"Wait, what?" Caroline asked.

"During Christmas and when we go to the cabin," explained Elena. "He sneaks into my bed at night. He might not be there when I wake up, but I know he was there."

"Wait minute," Caroline said loudly. "Why would he do that? Don't you both hate each other?"

"Don't ask me," she said with a shrug. "You know Damon hates me."

"Have you ever thought of asking him?" Bonnie asked as she pulled into the mall parking.

"No, because I don't need him making fun of me for even suggesting that he would sneak into my bedroom, but I know he does," she said has she got out of the car.

"But he used to do that when you guys were friends, didn't he?" Caroline asked as she followed the girls into the mall.

"Yeah, he used to," she said as she followed Bonnie into a dress shop. "But enough about him, lets do some shopping," Elena said with a huge smile as she went over to one of the clothing racks. She began to thumb through the dresses, looking for her size and style. She could see Caroline over at another clothing rack looking through the dresses. Bonnie was looking over another clothing rack.

"So I think we should find a couple of dresses to try on and give each other our opinions," Caroline said as she picked a green colored dress out of the racks.

"Sounds like a good idea," Bonnie said as she looked over a purple ball gown.

"So lets find four dresses and then well try them on," Elena said as she looked through the dress in front of her.

The girls finally found their four dresses they wanted to try on. Elena dragged her dresses into the changing room, laughing at Caroline trying to fit a large ball gown into her dressing room.

"Having fun!" She called over to Caroline.

"Oh yeah, so much fun," Caroline said with a laugh. Elena couldn't help but laugh at her friend as she closed the changing room door. She began to change out of her clothes and into a beautiful soft pink, tulle strapless ball gown with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice had a gold metallic embroidered lace appliqué. It had a cute little belt that was detachable.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she looked like a princess in the dress and she couldn't help but laugh at herself. She felt like she should have a tiara on her head and be waving at people as she rode in a carriage.

"Come out and show us," Caroline said as she knocked on the door.

"Coming," she said as she opened the door to find Caroline standing there in a coral two-piece dress. Caroline was wearing a sparkly beaded lace crop top and ivory floral printed mermaid skirt.

"What do you think?" Caroline asked as she danced around in front of the mirrors in the large waiting room.

"Beautiful," Elena said with a smirk. "How do I look?" She asked as she twirled around as best as she could.

"Like a princess," Caroline said with a smile.

"I feel like one," she laughed. "Bonnie, come on. Let's see the dress," she said while knocking on Bonnie's door.

"I'm coming, now don't laugh," Bonnie said as she opened the door. Bonnie was wearing a navy blue dress with a halter-top and embellishments. "I don't think this is me and what the hell are you wearing?" Bonnie asked as she looked at Caroline's dress.

"What?" Caroline laughed. "I was thinking it would go good for the masquerade theme."

Elena shook her head while saying, "no, you might want to find something else."

"Okay, your highness," Caroline laughed as she went back into the changing room. "But did it look good on me?" She asked as she poked her head out of her changing room.

"You looked beautiful, just not your dress…and I think your dad wouldn't let you out of the house in that dress," Elena laughed as she walked back into her dressing room. She chose another strapless ball gown, but this one was blush colored and had a beaded lace appliqué on the bodice that featured a sweetheart neckline with jewels on the waistband. She studied herself in the mirror, noticing how again she looked like a princess. She opened the door, to find both Bonnie and Caroline weren't out yet.

"You guys done yet," she asked while she looked in the large mirror out in the waiting area.

"Coming," Caroline said as she opened the door to reveal her dress. She was wearing blush colored, strapless, and lace mermaid gown with a sweetheart neckline. The tulle skirting was layered. "What do you think, miss princess?" Caroline asked with a laugh.

"Your one to talk," Elena laughed as she looked at Caroline's dress choice.

"It isn't me, is it?" Caroline asked as she looked in the mirror.

"I don't know," Elena said while biting her lip. "You look pretty in it."

"I'm coming out guys," Bonnie said as she came out of the dressing room. Bonnie was dressed in a plum colored gown. This dress had a gathered bodice and side slit. The dress had a sweetheart neckline that had embellishments. "What do you think?" Bonnie asked as she turned around to look in the mirror.

"I like it," Elena said with a smile.

"Me too…it's pretty on you," Caroline said with a smile. "But I'm thinking I don't like the mermaid type dresses," she said has she went back into her dressing room. "Or this one is just too tight."

"Probably too tight," Elena said with a laugh as she went back into her dressing room.

"Guess who I finally asked to prom," Caroline said with a smile as she stuck her head out of her dressing room.

"Tell me you finally asked Stefan?" Elena asked as she poked her head out of the dressing room to see Caroline looking back at her.

"I did and he said yes," squealed Caroline. "So did Tyler finally ask you?" At the mention of Tyler, Bonnie stuck her head out of her dressing room to look over at Elena who was blushing.

"Yes, he finally asked me," she said with a huge smile.

"Finally!" Bonnie laughed. "The boy does have a brain."

"Okay, I am shutting the door now," Elena said with a laugh as she closed her dressing room door.

The girls tried on a few more dresses, having a lot of fun seeing each other in their dresses. A couple hours later and a different store, Elena was having a hard time picking a dress out. Both Caroline and Bonnie had already chosen their dress.

"Here try this on," Caroline said while shoving a red fitted dress into Elena's dressing room.

"Caroline I can't try this on," she said while looking the dress over. "This is something Adrianna would wear."

"Exactly, live a little," Caroline, said with a smirk.

"Okay, fine I will try this one," she said while shutting the door quickly. She finally got the dress on and it was a one-shoulder gown with a lace top that showed off Elena's mid section. The back was open with a high front slit. She studied herself in the mirror, not believing that she had let Caroline talk her into wearing the gown.

"Hurry up Lena," Caroline shouted.

"I'm not coming out," Elena said as she poked her head out of the door. "I can't believe you would think I would wear something like this."

"Let me see," Caroline said has she opened the door to see Elena standing there in the dress she had chosen. "You look beautiful."

"You can't wear that," Bonnie said as he poked her head around the corner. "You'll be asked to leave the moment you get to the dance."

"What's the dress code to this preppy thing?" Caroline asked.

"Not that," Bonnie said has she pointed to the dress. "You saw the type of dress I got, it has to be something like that. You want it to be formal. Think of it has you are meeting the queen, so something formal looking."

"So what is the formal like?" She asked. "Is it like a regular prom…or is it different?"

"Different…very formal," supplied Bonnie. "You'll find out, just get something that is comfortable for the long night and formal looking."

"I have no idea what to get," sighed Elena.

"Here, try this," Bonnie said while handing her a dress. "I think that will be the dress."

* * *

 **Later In The Day -**

Elena was busy dancing to the music coming from the small radio on the kitchen table. Stirring the strawberry batter, she hummed to an old country song that she knew was a favorite of her mom's. Picking up a bunch of fresh strawberries, she began to cut them into small pieces while humming more to the song. A soft breeze came through the open window and she could smell the ocean and rain. She knew it was raining somewhere out on the ocean and that it would be here soon. Looking out at the setting sun and all the different colors in the sky, it was very picturesque.

A beeping sound came to life to signal that the vanilla cupcakes were done baking. Putting the fresh cut strawberries in the batter, she grabbed her oven mitts before pulling the vanilla cupcakes out of the oven. She was in the process of putting the cupcake pan on top of the stove when she caught sight of her brother out of the corner of her eye stealing a couple of uncut strawberries.

"Jeremy!" She scolded has she swatted at him with one of her oven mitts.

"You're not using them," he said with a smirk as he moved away from her trying to hit him while he popped another strawberry into his mouth.

"I will be," she sighed as she tried to shoo him out of the room, but he just danced away from her while laughing. "Jeremy!" She yelled as he stole a vanilla cupcake. "I need every one of those for my bunny display."

"Come and get it," he laughed while licking the cupcake.

"Oh you," she growled and he just laughed before taking a large bite of the cupcake.

"What's going on here?" They both heard their mom ask from the doorway as she came inside. "You're not fighting are you?"

"No of course not," Jeremy said with a laugh.

"No mom," she said with a smile. "Just baking and this one here," she said while pointing at her brother. "Keeps stealing things," she said as she began to pour the batter into the two cake pans that she had laid out. Her mom had come further into the room with Stefan following behind her and she looked over to see the horrible look on her friends face. She stood up after placing the cake pans into the oven and as she stood up, she noticed the tears in her friend's eyes.

"Stefan?" She questioned while closing the oven door. Stefan just stood off to the side in the kitchen. Her friend was trembling and looking down at the ground. She knew something was wrong and her heart went out to her friend. "Stefan?" She asked as she went towards him, helping him over to the kitchen table. "Come on, lets take seat," she quietly said as she pulled one of the chairs out. "What's wrong?" She asked him as she kneeled in front of him, but he wouldn't answer her. "Please answer me, Stefan," she begged, but he still wouldn't answer her. "Mom?" She stressed as she looked up at her mother.

"Elena, sweetie," Miranda said while trying to get her daughter's attention. Elena studied her mom for a few minutes and she could tell her mom was holding on by a thin wire.

"Mom?" She questioned as she stood up.

"Stefan dear," Miranda said has she made her way over to her Godson. "I want you sit right here, okay," she said sweetly. "Jeremy's going to make dinner and I'll be right back before I head out," she explained and Stefan just nodded his head while wiping at his eyes. "It'll be okay, I promise."

"Mom?" Elena questioned at the same time Jeremy spoke up.

"I'm not cooking," Jeremy complained.

"Jeremy," Miranda scolded. "Find one of my recipes and fix something," she stressed. "I don't have time for your attitude.

"Okay," Jeremy said after a minute of staring at his mom. He could tell something was not right. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'll explain that here in a second, but first…Elena I need your help with something," Miranda said while taking a deep breath of air has she motioned for her daughter to follow her into living room. Elena didn't ask questions, she just followed her mom into living room.

"Momma?" She asked while taking a seat beside her mom. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Elena," Miranda said before sighing. "Elena, I need you to listen to me very carefully," Miranda said in a calming voice and it made Elena stop what she was doing and look over at her mom with a worried expression.

"What's wrong mom?" She asked nervously. She knew something was wrong, she just didn't know how bad it was.

"Your dad is riding over to the mainland with your aunt. She's being careflighted over" Miranda explained. "They're taking her to the nearest hospital."

"Why? What's wrong?" Elena asked quickly. "Is she okay?"

"She's unresponsive the last time I talked to your dad," Miranda explained. "Because your dad thinks that aunt Lily's cold is worse than what we thought, that she might actually have a really bad case of pneumonia."

"Oh no…poor Stefan and Damon," she whispered. "Is dad sure?"

"I am afraid so. That's why I had your dad over there to day to check on her," Miranda explained. Elena didn't know what to say, she just sat there and stared at the blank TV screen. "I knew I shouldn't have believed that quack doctor that said it was just a cold," Miranda whispered and Elena could hear the tremble in her mom's voice. Looking over at her mom, she could see the tears in her mom's eyes. "I just glad I told your daddy to go check on her today, since Gretchen wasn't going to be in."

"So, she's at the hospital?"

"Yes and I told your daddy I would meet him there," Miranda said while wiping the tears away. "I need to get heading there, but I need to find Damon and I have no idea where to start. He needs to hear it from one of us, but it becomes gossip among the island."

"I can go find him," she whispered. She really didn't want to have to be in the same room with him tomorrow, so going to look for him, was not the top thing on her list of things to do today.

"Thank you," Miranda said slowly. "I should probably get going and I need you to be responsible for me and make sure your brother makes dinner. Find Damon and bring him back here. You guys should be all together tonight and it will make it easier when I call you with any news."

"I'll find him and I'll keep my phone on," she promised. She was praying that her aunt Lily would make a quick recovering, because she couldn't bare the thought Stefan and Damon being without their mom. She knew that if something happened to her aunt Lily, the boys would go to live with their father and she knew Damon wouldn't be able to handle that.

"Your such a good kid," Miranda said as she patted her daughter's cheek before heading back into the living room. Miranda deep down was feeling guilty that her best friend was suffering because she hadn't made sure to double check about her cold with the doctor or husband.

"Mom it's not your fault," Elena whispered as she turned to see that her mom had stopped in the archway.

"Keep your phone on and I will call when I hear anything," Miranda repeated before disappearing into the kitchen.

"What's going on Elena?" Jeremy asked her as he came into living room. "Mom's crying."

"Aunt Lily," she supplied while looking back down at her hands. "Dad thinks she's sicker than what her doctor's were thinking."

"Are they taking her to the hospital?" Jeremy asked quickly as he came further into the room. "Where's her caretaker?"

"Mom let Gretchen have the weekend off seeing has tomorrow is Easter," explained Elena as she looked up at her brother from the couch. "And dad was supposed to check on her this afternoon after his meeting."

"What else did mom say?"

"Nothing else," Elena said while studying her brother. "She just said she wanted me to find Damon, and for you to make dinner has she was heading to the hospital to meet dad," she whispered.

"Maybe I should be the one to find Damon," Jeremy said has he turned to go back into the kitchen, because they could hear their mom calling for him. "I'm him is friend."

"No," she sighed. "We might not be speaking, but I would be the only one able to find him and you need to be in the kitchen making dinner or at least picking something up from The Grill."

"Sure, sure," Jeremy said with shrug has he leaned on the doorframe. Elena finally made her way into the kitchen, to find her mom talking to Stefan.

"Mom," she said while walking up to her mom and Stefan. "Shh, it'll be okay," she whispered while hugging Stefan, who set there motionless. "I'll make sure everything is taken care of."

"Thank you sweetie and Jeremy listen to your sister," Miranda said while heading towards the door. "I call with any news, so keep your phone close."

"Will do," she said while resting a hand on Stefan's shoulder.

"Be good you guys," Miranda said before shutting the door behind her.

"Stefan why don't you come in here," Elena said while dragging her unresponsive friend into the living room. "Just sit here and I'll bring you a cupcake…or do you want something else?" She said while pushing Stefan down on the couch.

"I'm fine, Lena," Stefan said with a small smile.

"Are you sure? Jeremy's supposed to be cooking something while I go look for your brother. Or he could go to The Grill."

"Maybe I should go with you," Stefan said while standing, but Elena pushed him down. "I'll be fine and have you seen your brother today?"

"Not since last night. He was really drunk yesterday and just not himself."

"He hasn't been himself in a long time," Elena said before pausing. "Just sit there and watch something on the TV and I'll take care of everything. What would you like for dinner?" She asked nicely.

"I really don't care, Elena…I would just like to be with mom right now." Elena could see how sad her friend looked and how more tears appeared in his eyes. It broke her heart to see her friend crying.

"She'll be fine, Stefan…my dad's with her," Elena said with a small smile. "Can I see your phone real quick?" She asked while kneeling in front of him.

"Why?" He asked.

"I want to get hold of your brother, to see where he's at."

"Are you going to be nice?" Stefan asked.

"Of course," she said with small smile. "Mom told me to find him and bring him back here." He didn't say anything, he just handed her his cell phone and she dialed his brother's number.

"Stefan this better be good," Damon growled into the phone.

"Damon, stop being an ass for once in your life," she snapped as she stood up, walking away from where Stefan was sitting.

"Elena, why do you have my brother's phone?"

"Because he's at my house crying."

"Why's he crying? What did you do?" He asked quickly.

"I didn't do anything," she snapped. "I need to know where you're at?"

"Like I would tell you," he slurred.

"Damon, your mom is being rushed to the hospital. I need to know where you are," she said loudly, trying to make him understand. "I need to come get you or least find you. My mom sent me to find you because she wants you back at the house for the tonight and Stefan needs you," she whispered the last part.

"You better be lying," he snapped.

"I'm afraid I am not," she said quietly. "Please just tell me where you're at. You need to come home."

"I kind of can't," he slurred.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I don't think you would want me to drive."

"Your drunk?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "Okay, fine…where are you?"

"If you already know, all you have to do is ask…but if you do not know, there's no need to ask because you won't find the secret path anyway." She wanted to strangle Damon in that moment for pulling out a riddle. They used riddles with each other when they were younger and didn't want other people know where they were going. Before she could say anything else, he had already hung up the phone. "Damn it," she whispered while standing up. "I'll be back Stefan and Jeremy should be making dinner, so that'll be good, but if I was you…I would have him go get take out from The Grill."

"I'll be fine, Lena," whispered Stefan. "Go bring Damon home."

"I'll try," sighed Elena has she headed into the kitchen.

"You get a hold of Damon?" Jeremy asked has he stood by the kitchen table.

"Yeah, I just have to go get him now," she said while grabbing her cell phone off the counter before heading for the back door. "I'll be back soon."

"Be careful." She could hear brother call out has she left the house. She ignored him has she got onto her bike and peddled her way to the one spot that she knew she could find Damon. She knew by the riddle he gave her that she could find him only at one spot.

* * *

She spotted Damon's car sitting there and she knew that if she followed the old familiar path she would find Damon sitting out on the aged dock just sitting there. She parked her bike and walked down the familiar path until she came to the dock to find Damon standing there drinking out of a beer bottle.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Damon said in a gruff voice.

"Could have made it easier to find you," she said has she got closer. She watched as he threw a beer bottle out into the water. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Not enough," he said with a sigh as he turned to face her. She could see the tears already forming in his eyes. "So it's true?"

"I'm afraid so," she whispered while biting her lower lip. "Mom came home and told us while dropping Stefan off. Your brother needs you right now and you don't need to be by yourself drinking."

"How can you be such a good person?" He asked has he got closer to her.

"It's a trait I would like to get rid of," she whispered has he got closer. "Please just give me your keys and I'll drive you back to the house."  
"Like I would give you the keys," he laughed as he turned around, giving her his back and she glared up at him.

"Damon, please," she begged. "Jeremy's home making dinner and your brother's there right now. My mom wanted me to come find you, to bring you home. Please don't make this harder than it already is," she begged. "I know this is the furthest from what you wanted to do tonight."

"You can say that again."

"I know," she whispered. "Please let me have your keys and I'll get us home. You'll have dinner and somewhere to sleep tonight."

"Just sit here with me for a little bit," he said as he held his hand out for her to take. She looked at his hand for the longest time as though it would bite her, but then finally she took his hand and let him drag her over to the dock. She took a seat beside him and for the longest time they just sat there in silence, until she felt him wrap his arms around her shoulders. She was frozen to the spot and he tugged her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, while putting his head on her shoulder. He could tell she was afraid to move, but he needed her in that moment. She finally wrapped her arms around him and just held him there has he cried. She didn't know what else do and she couldn't be mean to him while his mom was in the hospital.

* * *

Jeremy was already up in his bedroom after making sure the kitchen was cleaned and Elena was just finish spooning out vanilla ice cream and crushing Oreo's in it. She could hear Stefan snoring from where he was sleeping on one of the couches. Pulling a spoon out of the silverware drawer, she picked up the bowl and made her way into the living room to find Damon sitting there watching TV.

"Here," she said while handing him the bowl with the ice cream as she leaned over the back of the couch.

"How did you remember?" He asked while taking the bowl and looking back at her.

"I remember a lot about you," she whispered has she stood up straight. "I remember you used to eat this when you were sad or scared. I figured you would need it with everything that's happened today."

"Yeah," he sighed while taking a bite of the ice cream. "I just wish we had some news about what's going on."

"I know," she said while coming around the couch to sit down beside him. "Mom said she would call when she heard anything."

They sat there in silence for the longest time, until Elena stood up stretching and yawning. "I think I'm going to head to bed and if I hear anything, I'll let you know," she said while touching his shoulder before yawning again.

"Thanks for the ice cream," he said while touching her hand that was on his shoulder.

"Oh your welcome," she said before heading for the stairs. "I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

Elena was fast to sleep when was awaken by movement outside her door. Blinking her eyes open, she looked over towards her door to see the doorknob moving. Her heart beat wildly at first until she realized that it was Damon outside her closed door. She laid there in bed, waiting to hear his footsteps disappear back downstairs, but she didn't. She watched the door open slowly and she closed her eyes quickly, she didn't want him to know she was awake. She was hoping he would notice her asleep and just go back downstairs. Laying there, she heard him tiptoeing across her bedroom floor to her bed. She could feel him standing there, staring down at her. Finally after a couple of minutes, she rolled onto her side to look up at Damon.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

"Scoot over."

"What? No," she said while sitting up in her bed.

"Please Star," he begged and she stared up at him with wide eyes. She couldn't believe that he had called her by the nickname he used to call her.

"Damon," she said while biting her lower lip.

"I'm flying the white flag and calling a truce," he whispered. "Please, I need you. Just for night, lets call it a truce."

"We're not even friends anymore, Damon. Remember you hate me," she whispered while looking up at him.

"Just for tonight, can you forget everything I've ever done?" He asked as he put his knee on the bed, leaning towards her. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Just for tonight, can we forget this feud we have?"

"Damon, your the one that started the feud," she snapped."

"I know you hate me, Star and I know I can be an ass sometimes, but please." She stared at him for a few minutes, before scooting over. She knew that he needed someone to comfort in that moment and she couldn't bring herself to be mad at him. He always searched her out when he needed someone to console him or just sit with him. She couldn't push him away and she knew that he knew that.

"Fine," she sighed. "But you stay on your side of the bed."

"Of course," he said while crawling into the bed, making sure to get has close to her has possible.

"Damon, you stay on your side of the bed or you can go back down to the couch," she said while turning over onto her side, giving him her back.

"Elena?" He whispered while touching her shoulder.

"Damon, I have an early morning…please go to sleep," she begged while rolling over onto her back.

"Star?" He whispered in her ear and she wanted to curse him.

"Go to sleep Damon," sighed Elena as she rolled away from him. "I shouldn't even let you sleep here, but –"

"But you're a good person."

"And your using me," she hissed as she rolled over to look at him. "Like you always do…so do the decent thing and stay on your side of the bed, please."

"Fine," he sighed.

He didn't have to wait long until she was sound asleep, he could hear her faint breathing. He laid there looking up at the ceiling, wondering if his mom would be okay and if Elena would ever forgive him. He could feel her moving closer to him, wrapping one of her arms around his stomach and placing her head on his chest. He could hear her sigh in content and it made him miss the old days when he would sneak into her room. He couldn't help but smile at himself, but a part of him ached for her touch all the time. He wanted her with him all the time, she was his and he couldn't stand being away from her all the time.

His mind was clouded with her scent and the thought about his mom laying up in the hospital. Just the thought about his mom made him depressed. He didn't know how long he laid there staring up at the ceiling, but he eventually fell asleep, holding her tight to him. He wanted to stay in that moment and just forget about everything else. He just wanted to bask in her warmth and never leave.

* * *

 **The Next Day -**

Elena woke that morning to her phone ringing and she had to fight with her blankets to let go of her. Blinking her eyes open, she eventually found out that it was Damon holding her still. She had her arms wrapped him. She figured that in the middle of the night she had been using him has a pillow and it made her cheeks blush with embarrassment. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire has she tried untangle herself from Damon. She finally just pinched his arm until he let her go and rolled over onto his side. She quickly set up and grabbed her cell phone sitting on the beside table.

"Hello?" She asked while looking over at the clock, to see that it was five-thirty in the morning.

"Elena?" Miranda said into the phone. "I know it's early, but I figured the boys would want the good news."

"Good?" Elena asked. "So aunt Lily is okay?"

"She's out of the woods for now. They agree with your father that she does have a bad case of pneumonia…and they now have her in this bed type of thing that turns from side to side and they have her in a coma, but she's doing better and the doctors' have high hopes. Even your dad is happy with the progress she is making."

"That's really good," she said while nudging Damon awake. She found the boyish look he was giving her to be cute, it just reminded her of her old Damon and how innocent he once was.

"Yes it is!" She could tell from the sound of her mother's voice that her mother was smiling. "When you guys eventually get up…you guys can make your way to the hospital. I know the boys would like to see there more. "

"Elena?" Damon whispered and she held her finger to her mouth. 'Hold on," she mouthed.

"Which hospital, mom?"

"Oh right," Her mom laughed. "She got moved late last night and we are now at the one on Ashley Ave."

"Well be there," she said while yawning.

"Make sure your careful and Happy Easter sweetie."

"We will and Happy Easter mom," she said before hanging up.

"So?" Damon asked impatiently.

"Your mom's doing better," she explained. "They have her in a coma and in this bed that turns from side to side," she said while getting out of the bed. "But mom said the doctors' are really happy and are saying she is out of the woods and doing better."

"That's good news right?" Damon asked quickly while standing up.

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "My mom said we could go to the hospital."

"Great," he said while stretching and she had to look every where else, but at him, because she was noticing for the first time that he was shirtless. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. "I'll go wake Stefan and let him know."

"Okay and can we use your car?" She asked. "Mom took the car when she left last night."

"Yeah sure," he said before leaning down to kiss her on the cheek because she moved out of the way. He sighed loudly before heading for the door.

"Damon," she called out.

"Yeah?" He questioned has he turned around to face her.

"Can we forget last night ever happened?" She asked. "I know you still hate me and, well last night was just screwed up," she said while biting her lip. "I know you still hate me, Damon…why act like you do, like everything's the way it used to be...when there not."

"Of course," he said after a minute of silence. "Whatever you want Princess…but then again don't you always get your way," he said before leaving the room, leaving her standing there with her mouth gaped. He hated how she wanted to forget how they had called a truce last night and how it seemed like everything was back to normal. He knew she was right, that they couldn't forget everything that's happened. He wasn't really ready to forgive her or change his life just yet and he knew that she would never forgive him for everything he had done to her. 'How could she,' he thought. He knew the only way he got attention from her was when he played on her emotions, because like he said, she was a good person. She didn't know what to say back to him, because part of her heart was breaking. She missed her old Damon, but for the time being she was going to put that on the back burner and help a family friend out. She was doing this for stefan and her aunt Lily.

* * *

Elena was standing in the hospital hallway, waiting for her mom to get done talking to the doctors and for Damon and Stefan to get done visiting with there mom. Jeremy was sitting in one of the chairs, resting there and trying to stay awake. Elena couldn't go into her aunt room without bursting into tears, because the sight of her aunt in the rotating bed made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't bare the thought of her aunt being in that bed and not being able to greet her. She couldn't stand being in the room to see both Stefan and Damon sitting by their mom's bed, begging her to get better.

She looked over to see her father coming there way with a tired look on his face. She smiled at her dad and yawned a little bit. "Dad?" She greeted.

"Hey sweetie," her father greeted. "Your aunts going to be fine."

"Yeah, mom told us," she said with a smile. "So what's going to happen now that they have her in that bed?"

"She will be in a coma for a week and then their going to bring her to, to see if her lungs are up to working. They are not at the right capacity levels right now and that's what the bed and ventilator is used for." She just nodded her head.

"What about Stefan and Damon?"

"Well they are on spring break for this week, so they can go stay with their dad and not miss any school work."

"Dad, no," she said while shaking her head. "Why not just let them stay with us for the week?"

"You didn't let me finish," Grayson laughed. "Your moms already decided and talked to Giuseppe about them staying at our house for the week while their mom's here. She's also already called Gretchen to let her know." She said with a faint smile. She didn't mind Stefan staying at the hospital, but Damon that was another story. She knew that Damon would be sneaking into her room the whole week that he stayed at her house and she didn't know how she felt about that. Last night was a one time thing. 'oh who was she kidding...she could never say no to Damon,' she thought. "We shouldn't be much longer and then we'll go get breakfast and head home."

"Sounds good," she said with a small smile. "I'll just sit over here beside Jeremy."

"I need to go see your mom for a second and talk to a few of the doctors." Her dad said before walking off towards where his wife was standing talking to one of the doctors.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, I'm back and thank you guys. I'm really sorry I haven't gotten this chapter out when I told you I would. Last Tuesday I was teaching and of course my whole class was sick, so guess who also got sick. Yep, if you guessed me, then you would be correct. I was really sick and I'm just starting to feel better, so I haven't had it in me to write this chapter and if this chapter sucks, I'm really sorry. I have wrote this chapter over and over again, trying to make it perfect. It's a sad chapter and it looks like Stefan and Damon will be staying with Elena and her parents until Lily's out of the hospital.**

 **So how many times do you think Elena will let Damon sneak into her room at night while he's staying for the week.**

 **The thing that's happening to Damon and Stefan's mom, actually happened to my aunt like a year ago and I'm trying to remember everything, so if doesn't come out right, I'm sorry. I going to try to keep it straight.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because I haven't been able to give this chapter the attention it deserves. Thank you for all of your reviews too. It's really surprising how many of your are liking this story, so thank you!**

 **BlueEyes1992:** Thank you for your review. I wanted Tyler to be able to tell his side of story and you probably weren't happy with part of this chapter. Yes, Damon does need to grow up. Yes, Damon needs to tell her how much he misses her, but he's not ready to give up the life he's created for himself yet. I'm glad you like Elena's attitude! She does know how to stick up for herself. She's afraid to tell anyone just yet and she doesn't want to put anymore on her mom's plate. Yes, Damon does need to explain everything to Elena and he will. Maybe someone should lock them in a room for a few hours, but then again they may kill each other.

 **Until Delena Comes Back:** Thank you for your review. You probably hated this chapter then, since you don't want her to give Tyler another chance. Because Damon's immature at it finest and he has so much going on in his life, but Elena is also there to help him. He has a lot of growing to do and Elena has a lot of becoming her own person. I'm glad you enjoyed the flash back.

 **Margie:** Thank you for your review.

 **Imagination Run Wild:** Thank you for your review. Elena's not willing to forgive Damon just yet, he has a lot of groveling to do. He does need a reality check. Damon's always thought that she is his and no she's not property. I understand what your talking about bullying. I used to be bullied back in high school and even some of my own family were a part of that bullying or just actually left me. So I understand what you mean, but like me, Elena's a very strong female character and she has her friends. No she doesn't need to fight on her own and she won't, she has many people willing to fight for her. Something will happen that will open Damon and Jeremy's eyes, but it will be something very big, but I cannot tell you. No, I don't think people realize that their actions or words can hurt someone and that is the part that sucks. I really loved your review by the way, I am glad you are enjoying this story, that means a lot.

 **jairem:** Thank you for your review. No, it seems not a lot of people are in favor of Damon at this moment. Yes, Damon should change and he will, but it's going to take time. He's dating other girls to pass the time, because he can't be with her.

 **kfulmer7:** Thank you for your review. Tyler wasn't involved with what his roommate did, he told the truth. Damon and Elena might get to that point, or they might not.

 **Guest One:** Thank you for your review.

 **Dove:** Thank you for your review. Something big will happen for Damon and Jeremy to finally realize that they need to change. No, Elena won't forgive them so easily. I haven't been able to watch that episode yet, but I do hope that Delena gets their happy ending.

 **quinn:** Thank you for your review. I'm sorry I didn't update on time, but I've been really sick and I'm just starting to feel better and able to write. But I'm glad that you are enjoying this story so much, you make writing so worth it!

 **Mary:** Thank you for your review. I haven't yet been able to watch last couple episodes, but been reading about it and I hope not. Yes it would suck.

 **kelly:** Thank you for your review. I'm sorry about not updating on time, but as explained I haven't been feeling well and I didn't take that in account when I was supposed to be writing and updating this chapter. But I'm glad you are enjoying the story so much!


	11. Little White Dog

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Heads up this chapter might be a little sad at the ending and a little aggravating. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'm a little nervous about updating and putting this chapter out here, because I've put so much time into it. I just hope you guys enjoy it.****************

 **Next chapter will be up March 26th - 27th, depending on how everything goes until then.**

* * *

 **April 14** **th** **2008 (Early Monday Morning)**

The moon and stars were shinning bright through the open window as Damon snuck through the window, knocking over the desk chair that was placed in front of the window. Falling forward onto the mattress a few feet from the open window. A sketchpad and charcoal fell to the floor as he heard a groan come from the girl sleeping in the bed that he was crawling into. He looked down at Elena has she slept peacefully, never once showing any signs of waking up. Tracing a finger down her cheek, he smiled down at her. 'So beautiful,' he thought. A loud crashing sound came alive as the final object that Damon had smacked into while coming into the room, fell to the ground.

"Shit," he cursed as he spun around to see a few things laying on the floor from where he knocked them down. Slowing moving off the bed he began to pick up the objects off the floor, noticing the open sketchpad. The drawing looking back at him was of him. Studying the drawing, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He remembered Jeremy was the artist when it came to drawing and painting, and Elena was the photographer, but that she tried her hardest to be like her older brother when they were younger. He could tell that she could now give her brother a run for his money when it came to drawing.

A soft noise could be heard coming from the bed and his head jerked up to see Elena sitting up in her bed with her eyes half open, staring back at him. Elena couldn't understand what she was looking at first, because the sight in front of her was of something that would have happened if they were still friends, but not now.

"Damon?" She questioned while reaching over to turn on the lamp on her nightstand.

"Don't turn that on," he begged as he closed her sketchpad and that's when she noticed what he was looking at.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she moved her hand away from the lamp. "Why do you have my sketchpad?"

"I tripped over it when I was coming through the window," he said with a laugh has he began to take his shoes off.

"Its two in the morning," she said with a groan as she looked at the clock. "Why are you crawling through my window at two in the morning?"

He laughed while saying, "late party?" He began to remove his white shirt that had specks of blood on it.

"Your not funny," she huffed while trying to get her eyes to adjust to the darkest. "My parents won't tolerant you sneaking into the house because you've been out partying all night. They told you if you were to stay this week that you would have to follow their rules or your going to your dad's," she growled.

"Their not my parents, Princess," he said with smirk while crawling into the bed beside her, after removing his pants. "Your not going to tell on me, are you?" He asked has he got closer to her.

"Why would I tell you? Your not my responsibility?" She looked at him as though he was crazy before saying, "what do you think your doing?" She had to lean away from him, because he was now leaning over her, resting on his elbows. "Did you seriously take your clothes off?"

"How else am I supposed to sleep…be glad that I'm not naked," he laughed as he rolled off her onto his back. "Or is that what you want?" She just rolled her eyes at him, trying to ignore him.

"What are you doing?" She asked while looking over at him, noticing a slight bruise appearing on his cheek and how his lip was cracked open.

"And what does it look like I'm doing?" He asked while rolling over onto his side to look up at her, while fluffing his pillow as he went.

"Your not sleeping here," she said while shaking her head. "And why does it look like you've been in a fight?" She asked while rolling over on her side to look at him, reaching a hand out to touch the faint bruise on his cheek. "Have you been drinking?" She didn't smell alcohol on him, but she could never tell.

"Well if I go downstairs, I think tomorrow morning your parents will notice I've been out…don't you?" He asked with a smirk. "And no, I haven't been drinking."

While grinding her teeth together she said, "that's not my problem, maybe you should be caught." She flopped back over onto her back.

"But isn't buddy," he said with a smirk.

"We're not friends," she said while crossing her arms over her chest, showcasing that she was wearing a very thin, white tank top with no bra. He couldn't help but smirk more has he leered at her chest. She finally noticed what he was doing and she reached out to smack him, but he caught her hand. Placing a kiss on the palm of her hand, and it sent shivers up her back and it took everything in her not to react. "Let go of my hand," she demanded.

"I don't think I will, buddy," he said with more of a smirk.

"Damon, we're not friends or buddies…whatever you want to call it…but we're not," she said while snatching her hand back.

"I thought we called a truce?"

She whispered, "that was only for that night."

"Was it?" He asked while bracing his head up with his elbow and smirking at her. "Or can it be for the rest of this week?"

"Why?" She asked quietly. "You hate me."

"Think about your parents," he said while rolling over onto his back. He couldn't bear to look at the expression on her face when she said that he hated her, because that was furthest thing from the truth and it did something to him.

"What about my parents?" She asked. "Maybe you should be thinking about when they find out that you have been sneaking out at night."

"Your not planning on telling them, are you Snitch?" He asked and regretted it when she punched him in the stomach. "Jeez, what's your problem," he coughed, trying to catch his breath.

"You're an ass. Do you know that?" She asked while leaning over him, staring him down. "Why are you always such an ass?"

"Maybe it's because you make me that way." Again she hulled off and punched him, but this time in his shoulder.

"Shut up," she snapped. "I never did anything to you, your just an ass," she hissed as she flopped back on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

After several minutes of silence, he finally broke it by saying, "maybe I'm thinking about your parents."

"What about my parents?" She asked.

"Well let's call a truce for your parents."

"What does this have to with my parents?" She asked quietly.

"Maybe instead of fighting the whole time I'm here, we can be civil…maybe even friends."

"Civil I can go for," she whispered. "But not friends, you haven't done anything to earn that," she said before rolling over onto her side, giving him her back. He sighed before wrapping his arm around her midsection and pulling her closer to him. She tried to fight to him, but he wouldn't let go.

"I want to try to be civil for this week and maybe then we can be friends," he whispered into her ear. "I do miss you, Star."

"How can you miss me, when you hate me?" She harshly asked.

"I know you won't believe me, but I do," he whispered before kissing the shell of her ear and it sent a shiver up her spine. She had goose bumps on arms. "If I'm nice during this week, will you try to give our friendship a go again. To forgive me?"

"I don't know if I can forgive you just yet," she whispered as she closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I'm guessing your wanting to sleep here tonight?"

"I would…you don't know how hard it is to sleep without you."

"Damon, if we're going to be civil, stop talking to me has though you have missed me, because you haven't…you have made it clear that I am the one person that you hate the most," she angrily said.

"Okay…deal," he said after a minute. He didn't know what else to say.

"Good, stay on your side of the bed, unlike you did last night…and let go of me," she growled before elbowing him in the stomach.

"What the hell is your problem," he wheezed out.

"Maybe it's because of the person who woke me up in the middle of the night and then wanted to have a conversation, even though I have a early morning," she snapped. "And you never did answer me…have you been in a fight?"

"I can't answer that," he huffed.

"Damn it Damon," she growled before rolling over to face him, quickly wiping the tears away. "You can't be getting into fights."

"I never said I was in a fight," he growled. "And if I was, maybe it was for a good reason."

"What was the reason?"

"I can't tell you," he whispered as he reached out to touch her face and she noticed the blood on his hand.

"You have blood on your hand," she said before snatching at his hand. "Why is there blood on your hand?"

"I thought I got it all off," he whispered as he watched her studying his hand. "I promise that the person who I was supposedly fighting with, deserved it." He was telling the truth for the most part. The person he beat the shit out, did deserve it and he couldn't tell her that he was actually defending her honor.

"Damon," she sighed while looking at him. "If you want to be my friend again or even be civil with me," she paused, don't lie to me, you forget I know you better than you know yourself…and no more getting into fights."

"Sleep," he said before kissing her cheek. "I'll be good," he said before rolling over to his side of the bed. "You'll be forgiving me by the end of this week."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she whispered with more tears in her eyes. She lightly wiped at her eyes, trying to make sure he didn't notice.

* * *

 **Later That Day –**

The sounds of dogs barking could be heard has Elena came through the kennel part of the clinic and she was carrying a little scruffy brown dog, while holding three dog leads that were attached to one little mix Chihuahua, another attached to a very large black dog and the last one attached to a little Beagle. Elena had a large smile on her face has she walked through the open aisle way, between the dog kennels.

"I'm going guys, hold on," she laughed while helping the dogs she had out for a run back into their cages. She hated not being able to fully help them, but she enjoyed taking them all for walks, or most of them. There were a few of them that was too old to go for walks and were on medication. "Okay, okay…I'm going," she said while closing the kennel door to the last dog. She hated the looks on their faces when she had to put them back in their kennels.

"Elena," one of the clinic workers called to her.

"Yeah?" She called back as she was opening the kennel doors to a shy little dog that she enjoyed taking for walks. She kept begging her parents to let her adopt the little dog, but that was a no go.

"You have a delivery," the young blonde said from the entrance to the kennel area. She was one of the girls that helped Elena get used to working at the Animal Shelter/veterinary Clinic.

"What is it?" She asked as she poked her head out of the kennel.

"I think you may want to come see for yourself."

"Okay, Georgia," Elena said before smiling at the little dog that jumped up on her leg. "Sorry buddy…I'll be right back," she said before petting the dog on the head. She closed the kennel door behind her, hearing the little dog barking at her to come back. She hated leaving them, because it made her feel like she wasn't doing enough. Walking into the reception area of the Animal Shelter, she found all the girls that were on shift for the shelter and the clinic, all standing around the reception desk. She walked closer, asking them what was going on and they all moved away from the desk for her to see beautiful arrangement of pink orchids.

"What's going on?" She asked while getting closer to the orchids that were stunning. "Who are these for?"

"There for you," Jane said as she looked up at Elena from looking at the orchids. "A delivery man just left them here, with this note," she said while handing Elena the note.

"For me," asked Elena as she took the note and all the girls nodded their head. She lightly touched the petals of the orchid with a faint smile before looking down at the note. She knew Damon was the only one that knew that she loved orchids. Her whole family and her friends' thought that she liked purple lilies and purple calla lilies, but that wasn't true.

Reading the note, it said: 'You look great today. How do I know that when I'm not there? Because you always do, because you are perfect, Star. These are for you, to remind you just how perfect you are and that I'm sorry for last night. Have a good day! – Your Prince

The note stunned Elena and it made her to a point of wanting to find Damon and ask him why he got her orchids or why he left a romantic note when he supposedly hated her. She couldn't help but smile at the orchids.

"So, who's it from?" Jennifer asked. Jenifer was tall with curly red hair and one of the veterinary technicians that worked with Dr. Winfield.

"I'm not sure," she lied while trying not to show the blush that was creeping up her cheeks. She couldn't understand why Damon would have flowers delivered to her place of work or why write that romantic note, when he clearly hated her. She just could not understand.

* * *

 **April 15** **th** **2008 (Tuesday Morning)**

Elena was trying to get a shower when she heard the bathroom door creaking open. Peaking her head outside of the tub, she caught Damon sneaking inside.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked loudly. She had to laugh to herself at the sight of Damon's spooked expression.

"You were taking too long and I needed to use the restroom," he said unembarrassed, his whole facial expression changed.

"I haven't been in here that long," she said with a sigh. "You couldn't have held it?"

"Not really," he said with a laugh before beginning to unzip his pants. She glared at him, thinking that he was testing her and when she realized he wasn't, she jumped back into the shower, letting the shower door bang close.

"You're an ass," she growled through the shower door. "I can't believe you just did that."

"I told you I had to go," he laughed. "Now can you hurry up, so I can get in there? You're taking way too long."

"No I'm not," she snapped through the shower door. "I just got in here and I won't be that long." She couldn't believe this was the same person who had her favorite flowers delivered to the clinic.

"Just hurry up," he said as he picked up his toothbrush and began to turn the faucet on.

Elena could feel very hot water pouring down on her and she let out a loud scream as she jumped to the other side of the shower. "Damon!" She screamed as she peaked her head out of the shower to see him standing there by the sink with a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

"What?" He asked as toothpaste fell out of his mouth.

"Why are you using the sink?" She demanded.

"I figured while I'm waiting for you to get done, that I could brush my teeth," he said with a skeptical look.

"Don't you remember that it sends scalding hot water into the shower when the water is on in here," she screamed at him. "You just scalded me."

"Are you okay?" He asked quickly while going to her, but she held her hand up to stop him.

"I'll be fine, no thanks to you," she growled while slamming the shower door shut

"I forgot," he said quietly as he spit the toothpaste out of his mouth.

Damon stood by the sink, looking in the mirror as he waited. He kept looking back over at the shower door, wishing that he could see inside. He wished he could have x-ray vision in that moment it would have came in handy.

He sighed when he realized how long she had been in there. Elena was busy washing her hair when she heard pounding on the shower door and she had to control herself from glaring at the door. "What?" She demanded.

"Are you going to hurry up or do I have to drag you out of there? I do have places to be."

"I also have places to be too," she yelled. "I have to be at the clinic here soon, so stop whining and I'll be out soon," she said through clenched teeth.

"Come on Elena, I need to go for my run before I meet up with Klaus," he said while knocking on the shower door again.

"Can't you take your shower when you get back from your run?" He didn't say anything to her and she sighed before saying, "it would make more sense for you to take a shower after your run."

"Maybe to you."

"Stop being a child." She just glared at the shower door before washing the soap out of her hair. She began to lather up her sponge with soap.

"Hey, do you remember when we were little –"

"Remember what?" She asked while cutting him off.

"When our mom's would bath us together."

She had to sigh before saying, "yeah I remember that, but don't even think about coming in here with me or I'll scream."

"I could make you scream for a whole different reason," he said with a smirk.

"Damon," she growled. "Shut up," she demanded and she could hear him laughing.

"But seriously, are you going to hurry up?"

"I'm going," she sighed. "Maybe if I didn't have someone in here with me complaining every five seconds, I could already be done," she shouted at him while turning off the water and opening the shower door a little bit to grab her towel. She wrapped it around self.

Before she realized it, Damon had already undressed and jumped into the shower, he was standing behind her. He couldn't help but smirk at her nervous reaction. Her eyes got wide at the sight of Damon naked under the shower spray in front of her. She couldn't help but let her eyes linger on his body and he smirked more at her. She had to admit that he was not only attractive, but also very handsome. He had a toned body that was beginning to make Elena want drool. The sight of him made Elena gasp. She had forgotten how good-looking he was with his ice blue eyes and dark brown hair. Finally regaining some common sense, she quickly removed herself from the shower.

"You couldn't wait," she demanded as she let the shower door slam behind her.

"Not like you haven't seen all of this before," he said with a laugh as he waved a hand towards his body as he stuck his head of the shower with a grin. She glared back at him.

"Not like I wanted to," she said while turning the faucet on and she could hear him yelp in pain. A smirk appeared on her face, as she laughed to herself.

"Now that was mean," he said with a growl as he stuck his head out of the shower to see her smirking back at him.

"Oh, was it?" She laughed while picking up her clothes and heading out of the bathroom.

"Elena!" She could hear him shouting at her and it made laugh more, causing her father to come up the stairs to ask her what was going on. "Nothing dad," she said with the tiniest smirk.

* * *

 **Later That Night –**

The TV screen illuminated both Stefan and Elena's face as they watched the movie. Elena reached over and got a handful of popcorn as she smiled at the opening scene. Both Stefan and Elena were too busy watching the movie to notice Damon sneaking into the house, until he tripped over something and landed on flat on his face. Stefan paused the movie as Elena looked over the back of the couch at Damon.

"What are you doing?" She asked while looking down at him.

"Are your parent's up?" Damon asked while standing up quickly.

"No, there out. They were visiting your mom this afternoon and dad planned on taking mom out to dinner," she explained.

"Oh good," he said with a grin as he stretched and began to walk around the couch, standing beside the couch to look at the TV. "What are you guys watching?"

"What do you think?" Stefan said with a laugh. "Elena picked it."

"Oh hush," Elena said while throwing a couch pillow at Stefan and he laughed more.

"Of course it is," Damon said with a grin as she stared down at Elena, making her squirm her seat. "Move over," he said while nudging her knee.

"No there's no room, sit over beside your brother," she said while staring back up at him.

"No offense but I don't want to sit beside you Stefan," Damon said with a laugh.

"None taken," Stefan laughed before turning the movie back on.

Damon laughed more as he picked Elena up and then took a seat down on the couch, with putting Elena on his lap. She tried to stand up, but he wrapped his arms around her middle.

"Stay," he whispered in her ear.

"My parent's aren't home…we don't have to pretend," she whispered back. Stefan watched his brother and Elena interacting with each other, wondering if the body snatchers had came. He couldn't understand why Elena wasn't throwing a fit and not trying to get off Damon's lap.

"Maybe I don't want to pretend," Damon whispered again, this time he left what felt like a kiss on her ear and she about jumped out of her seat, but he wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Maybe I miss this."

"I'll believe that will hell freezes over," she said in a whisper that sounded more like a growl as she tried to pinch his hand, but he wrapped his hand around hers.

"Always so negative," he laughed as he looked over at the TV screen to see Belle entering the Beast's castle. "Do you like this movie because Belle helped make the Beast more human?" He asked and she could feel his lips moving along her ear. "She helped him get his humanity back. She helped him become a better person. Do you want a guy that needs your help getting their humanity? Are you Belle?" He whispered in her ear and she froze as he nibbled on her ear.

"No," she whispered back. "I like the movie because Belle is a strong female character and she's smart," she said as she turned around a little bit to stare up at him. She was lying a little bit, because she always thought of herself as Belle and now more than ever, she saw Damon as the Beast.

"Are you lying?" He asked. Stefan tried to look away but it was like a car crash, he kept sneaking glances over at Elena and his brother. He couldn't believe they were that close and not trying to kill each other. He didn't know if he should bring that up or not.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Maybe because I need my own, Belle," he whispered and Elena's mouth felt dry as she stared back at him. She didn't know what to say to him. Taking a deep breath, she jumped off his lap and rushed around the back of the couch, screaming that she would make more popcorn and maybe ice cream.

* * *

 **April 16** **th** **2008 (Wednesday Morning) -**

Damon woke to movement in the room he was sleeping in. Slowing opening his eyes, he could see Elena undressing, how she had her bare back to him. The only thing that she was wearing was her underwear and a sports bra. The sight of her took his breath away, making him want to jump out of bed and drag her back to the bed to have his wicked way with her. He watched get dress into her running clothes. He quietly watched her pull up her tight, black running shorts and then slip into her tight, blue spandex tank. He made sure that she couldn't tell that he was awake when she turned around, facing the bed. He could feel his mouth go dry and how his heart pounded against his ribcage at the sight of her standing there bathed by the light and how her skin glowed.

He had to close his eyes when she got closer to the bed. He could hear her faint breathing as she moved around the room and it lauded him back to sleep. He knew that when she was around that he could always get a decent night of sleep. He heard the bedroom door shutting and knew that she wasn't in the room anymore. He slowly got up and quickly changed into his own running clothes.

Elena was out on the beach stretching when she noticed Damon walking up to her. She didn't know what to say, so she just ignored him while stretching more. She watched as he got closer and it made her stare at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought I would join you for a run, if that's okay?" He asked while sitting down beside her and beginning to do his stretches.

"Yeah, that's fine," she stumbled over her words. "But can you keep up?"

"Don't worry about me," he said with a laugh. "How far you going today?"

"I have an hour before I have to head back home to get my shower and head into work."

"You working at the clinic today?" He asked.

"Yeah, and then I'm coming back to do my homework."

"Homework?" He asked with a laugh.

"Yes, homework," she said with laugh. "My school actually gives out homework during spring break."

"Ah," he said with a smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be visiting your mom today?" She asked while looking over at him as she stood up.

"Yeah, me and Stefan are going to see her and then we have to have lunch with dad and Maggie."

"Ouch, I wish I could go…but I don't get off work until around two-thirty.

"It's okay, Stefan will be there," he said while standing up, and dusting the stand off his shorts. "You ready?"

"Its I who should be asking you that," she said with laugh before sprinting off. She could hear Damon gaining ground on her and she pushed herself further. She missed running with Damon in the early weekend mornings.

Elena was just hearing her clock on her phone beeping at her, telling her that her hour was up and that she needed to home. She stopped, panting and bending over to catch her breath when she felt Damon run smack into her. She some how landed on top of him, and she was now looking down at him. Her hair was falling out of the ponytail that she had it up in and it was tickling his face. He smiled up at her and she sent him back a questioning look. He was beginning to notice that she didn't very much trust him and he wanted to change that.

"Come on," she said while standing up and reaching a hand down to him. "I need to head back and you probably should get ready to head to the hospital." He took her hand and let her help him up.

"Thanks," he said with a smile and she tried to smile back at him.

* * *

 **Later that day –**

Her desk had books scattered all over it. She was propped up in her desk chair with one of her legs under her and the other dangling. She had her headphones in; letting the song she was listening to whisk her away to somewhere else. She hummed to the song while jotting down notes that she had found in the book she had gotten from the library earlier that day.

She was so immersed in her work that she didn't know that someone was coming into her room, until she felt a pair of hands going around her eyes. Damon laughed as she about jumped out of her seat. He put his face closer to hers and whispered in her ear.

"Guess who?"

"Damon," she said as she reached up to touch his hands trying to pull them off her face. He just laughed and kissed the top of her head before moving away to plop down on her bed. She just stared back at him and the expression on her face showed how dismayed she was with him. She finally pulled her headphones out of her ears. "What are you doing? I thought you were playing that video game with Stefan."

"No, Stefan went out with Caroline…they wanted to ask you if you wanted to do anything, but I told them that you were busy with your homework."

"Oh," she whispered, a little disappointed that she hadn't been told. "It's good to hear that they are doing things together," she said with a faint smile.

"So is this your homework?" He asked while reaching for one of the books.

"Yeah, but I can't really do anything until I show my partner the notes," she explained while flipping to the next page in the book she was reading. "We got paired up and it's like fifty/fifty."

"Why is this book about France?"

"Because the project is about a region in France," she said while handing him the instructions her teacher had handed out.

"Shit," he cursed while looking through the papers. "Is this the type of homework you do all the time?" He asked while looking up at her and she nodded her head. "Why is this all written in French?"

"Yeah, that's normally how my homework looks and it's written in French because I'm taking a French class," she said with a smirk.

"Ah," he laughed.

"I need to get back to this," she said while pointing back to her work. She could hear phone beeping, letting her know that Tyler had texted her back.

"Actually could you help me with something?"

"What's that?"

"I have to write an English paper that's due Monday," he explained. The work he was talking about was for extra credit work since he was failing the class. He had a lot of work he was supposed to be doing over break since he was failing most of his classes and it was supposed to help him raise his grade enough to move onto his senior year. His father had already gotten onto him during lunch about getting his work done and turned in Monday. He had a lot of pressure on him and he was beginning to feel overwhelmed. There was only one person he knew that could help get his homework done, but he didn't have it in him to tell her that he was failing his classes since she used think so much of him.

"What's the paper about?"

"I'm supposed to write about an activity or something I have done while on break," he explained. "I'm supposed to explain how the activity went and the different steps to the activity."

"Okay so what do you plan on doing that you can write about?"

"That's why I need your help." His teacher had already told him a week before break that he should already have something planned to do so he could write his paper.

"Damon," she sighed. "Shouldn't you have maybe already come up with something?"

"I wasn't exactly excepting my mom to be in the hospital," he said quietly.

"Maybe you should contact your teachers and let them know what's going on," she said softly as she reached out for his hands. She smiled up at him as she squeezed his hand.

"I don't think he will care, it's Mr. Peters."

"He's not a horrible guy. I think he would understand."

"Yeah I don't think he will," he mumbled. She gave him a questioning look when she heard what he had said.

"What do you mean?" When he wouldn't answer after a couple of minutes, she moved closer to him. "Damon, why wouldn't he give you more time? It wasn't your fault that your mom is in the hospital," she said while searching his face. "What aren't you telling?"

"Nothing, just he's been riding my ass," he said as he stood up. "Why does it matter? Can't you just help me?"

"Why should I help you with anything?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "You really haven't done anything to earn it." He stared down at her from where he was standing beside the window.

"Star, please," he begged.

"I wish you would stop using that nickname," she said while looking up at him. She could tell he was lying to her about something. "Maybe you should tell me what you were fighting about?" She asked. "You still haven't told me about that."

"I can't tell you," he lashed out. She scowled up at him.

"Then I can't help you," she snapped. "Please leave, I have my own homework to do."

"Elena, please." He began to move towards, stopping just in front of her.

"You're lying to me, Damon and why should I help you? You hate me, remember," she hissed. "Just get out!" She yelled after he wouldn't answer her. She stood up quickly, bumping into him. "You don't get to come in here and ask me for help when you've caused my life to be hell," she said while jabbing a finger into his chest.

He stared down at her in dismay. He didn't know what to say to her, because he knew that he was hurting her and had been hurting her. He was to the point of being obsessive about her and what she was doing.

A part of him still blamed her for the mess that she had caused, but the other part of him wanted her at his side. She would always be his, that wouldn't change. She had been his since the day they were both born. He didn't know if he was ready to change, because the part of him that still blamed her was always bursting at the surface. His life was a mess right now and he wasn't sure if he could go back to being the person she used to know.

He was still so possessive of her that he hated the thought of her going to another school, being around all those different people, pulling her away from him. When they were younger and still friends they had a codependency friendship and they (he) were always in control of the other person's emotions and feelings, shaping what the other person did. They (he) depended on the other person and what they were doing or thinking. When they were younger, Damon was always so possessive of Elena and always trying to keep her to himself. Elena was just beginning to figure how possessive Damon was of her and how much he depended on her.

When she was still going to the same school as him, he figured soon or later that she would forgive him, because she always had in the past. Him being himself he couldn't just come out and tell her that he was wrong it just wasn't in him. He knew that she knew how to handle him and how to make him behave and it surprised him when she just gave up on him. He was beginning to see that she wasn't going to forgive him anytime soon and he had pushed her too far. The thought that he might have pushed her too far always crept into his mind and it was slowly beginning to drive him insane.

They both stood there staring at each other, Elena was glaring up at Damon while he was staring down at her with remorse and she couldn't figure out why. Without warning Damon reached out and wrapped her ars around her, pulling her to him. She stood there motionless. She wasn't able to form a sentence and just let him hold her.

"Just forgive me," he whispered in her ear. "Which really if you think about it, you should be asking me for forgiveness when you're the one who told on us, Snitch," he laughed.

She froze in that moment, not believing what she was hearing. Her face screwed up into a scowl and she lashed out at him. With her free arm, she hulled off and slapped him, while quickly backing away from him. "How dare you?" She hissed. "GET OUT!" She screamed loudly as she was beginning to shake. When he didn't move and just stared at her with those blue eyes she hated so much, she screamed at him again. "Get out."

He knew that he had screwed up in that moment by the look on her face. "Elena, I-"

"Get out," she yelled at him. "If you're trying to ask for forgiveness, you're coming to the wrong person," she said as her bottom lip trembled. She was on the verge of crying.

"Elena, please," he begged and she glared at him more. He was only messing with her to a point when he said what he had said.

"Damon get out," she screamed as she pointed to the door. "Your not welcome here anymore," she said as she breathed harder, trying to control her emotions so she didn't want cry in front of him.

"Everything okay in here?" They both could hear Elena's father ask. Elena stood there shaking as she glared over at Damon, trying to control her emotions. Damon stood aloof; trying to act like nothing was going on. "Guys?" Grayson asked again.

"I was just asking Elena here for some help on my homework and I guess I was bothering her too much."

"Elena?" Grayson asked as he looked over at his daughter. He could tell something was not right, but he could not put his finger on it.

Taking deep breath of air and swallowing her tears, she said, "he was just bothering as usual and it was getting on my nerves."

"So you two are not fighting?" Grayson asked as he looked between the teens.

"Nope," she said with a faint smile that she had to make herself do. "I'm just busy with this project and as usual he's in here demanding help with something of his."

"Ah," Grayson said with a smile. He knew the two teens standing in front of him were lying. "Damon, why don't you come help me clean up the back yard for your mom's welcome home party that Miranda wants to throw for her…and we can leave Elena to her project, she needs to keep her grades up now that she is the senior class president," Grayson said with a prideful smile.

"Really?" Damon asked as he looked over at Elena who had taken a seat in her desk chair.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"Congrats," he said with a smile.

"Come on Damon," Grayson said as he motioned for the boy to follow him.

"I'll be right there, I just need to ask her something," Damon said slowly.

"Alright, I'll be out back when your done," Grayson said. Grayson stared at the two teens for a second longer before making his way out of the room. Damon watched Grayson leave before looking back down at Elena who staring at her notebook.

"Elena," he said as he kneeled beside her, trying to get her attention. "Star?"

"There's the door, don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out," she said while pointing towards the door without looking at him.

"Elena?" He looked like an innocent man on death row, having his last rights read to him.

"Damon, just leave," she said as she wiped a tear away. "You hate me remember," she laughed in pain. "One week isn't going change anything, you made sure of that and now you want forgiveness," she laughed bitterly. "Well, guess what?" She said with pursed lips as she stared at him. She grabbed a hold of his cheeks, squeezing it hard and she watched as he winced in pain but she didn't let go. "I'm done…and," she said while grinding her teeth together to keep herself from crying anymore. "Just leave, just get out," she said as she let go of his face while turning her back to him, closing her eyes shut tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't move, but her body shook silently. Damon stayed there on his knees staring at her back for a few minutes, wishing and hoping she would turn around to face him, but she didn't.

"Elena," he said as he stood up, but she didn't answer him back. The part of him that enjoyed her attention was getting annoyed that she wasn't giving him the slightest bit of attention. The other part of him was breaking on the inside because he knew that he had finally broke her.

She listened to his footsteps as he slowly left her bedroom and she listened as he slammed her bedroom door shut. As the door slammed shut, her eyes closed tighter and she let herself cry more. She sobbed as she got up and moved towards her bed, forgetting all about her homework or texting Tyler back. She curled up under her blankets and let herself cry herself to sleep.

* * *

 **April 17** **th** **2008 (Thursday Morning) –**

The sun shined brightly through the opened window and lightly woke up the sleeping teenager. She groaned as the light hit her opened eyes that were sore from crying so much the night before. She rolled over and pulled her pillow over her head and just laid there for a few minutes, wondering what the day was going to bring her.

Finally getting up, she reached over and checked her alarm clock to see that she slept through her alarm and that she only had an hour to get ready before work. She cursed to herself for missing her run that she always enjoyed. She sat there on her bed, letting her feet dangle over the side. She looked over to the other spot on her bed to notice that Damon did not sneak into her bed last night. She closed her eyes as she reached out to the spot, hating herself for being so stupid to think that maybe things could change between her and Damon, when he so blatantly told her all the time that he hated her, things like that never changed.

She finally got up and made her way down stairs. When she got to the bottom step, she looked around, looking for Damon but could not find him. She only found Stefan still sleeping on the couch. The couch where Damon would have been sleeping, did not have any blankets on it and looked like he had not slept there last night. Walking into the kitchen, she found her mom washing the dishes and humming to herself. She couldn't help but smile at her mom, remembering how her mom used to do that a lot before Katherine passed away.

"Mom," she greeted as she came further into the room.

"Good morning baby," her mom greeted as she turned around to smile at her daughter. She could tell that her daughter had been crying and that something was not right. "You okay? You weren't out for your run this morning."

"No, slept in late," Elena lied as she stretched.

"Elena sweetie, is everything okay?" Her mom asked, as she looked at her daughter's pink eyes that were puffy from crying. "Have you been crying?"

"No," she lied quickly while touching at her eyes that felt sore. "I was just staring at a lot of books last night and I got to bed late."

"Your dad said that he could hear you and Damon yelling at each other last night. What's going on?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "He was just being his usual annoying self. He wanted help with an English paper, but I had to work on the project so when Tyler comes over tonight, we can make headway on our project."

"You sure?"

"Of course mom," she mumbled as she took a piece of bacon off the plate that was on the counter, before taking a bite of it. She moaned as she eat little bit more of it. "This is really good mom. You did a really good job."

"I didn't cook it," Miranda said with a smile.

"Then who? Did Dad?" Elena asked quickly before putting some of the bacon onto a plate, along with some of the hashbrown and an egg. "I didn't know dad cooked?" She said with a laughed.

"Damon actually cooked everything," Miranda said with a laugh when she watched Elena about spit out her food. "He apparently got up early this morning and cooked this for everyone before going on his run," she explained.

"You sure it's not poisoned?"

"Elena," Miranda scolded. "Be nice and if it was, you already eat it," she said with laugh.

"That's true," she mumbled before taking bite of her toast. "I didn't know he knew how to cook. Last time he cooked something, he about burned down the house."

"Gretchen's been teaching," Miranda said with a smile. "She says he's a natural."

"Oh," mumbled Elena as she got up to get her a cup of milk.

"He also left this note for you," Miranda said while showing her daughter the note.

"Throw it away," Elena said without looking back at her mom as she poured the milk into a glass cup.

"Elena, maybe you should read it."

"Don't want to," she said with a sigh before walking back to the table.

"Elena, are being honest with me when you say nothing is going on? You look like you've been crying all night and now he's leave you little notes?"

"Did you read it?" Elena asked as she looked up at her mom.

"No, but I think you should still read it, even if you two are not as you say, friends," Miranda said with a frown. "Sometimes it's best to read the notes they leave, for when you guys becomes friends again or maybe you won't, but I think you should read it."

"Why?" Elena asked stubbornly. "He upset me last night and I don't want to read anything he has written me."

"What did he do, Elena?"

Chewing on the bottom of her lip she mumbled, "he was just being annoying and reminding me of why we aren't friends."

"You said it's because you went Victoria and he was upset that you left and didn't leave anytime for him, correct?"

"That basically sums it up," she mumbled.

"I still think you should read the note he has left," Miranda said before slipping the note into her daughter's hand. "Sometimes, it helps to read the notes they have left…even if you guys don't become friends again," Miranda said with a small smile. "Which I wish you guys would make-up…and I was hoping you guys would during this week in the same house," Miranda said with slight frown. "I was really hoping, especially since he was sneaking into her bedroom like he used to."

"You knew?" She asked in a nervous voice.

"Of course, it's my house," Miranda said with a laugh. "I know everything that goes on in this house, even if you think I'm not watching."

"Why do you want me to read the note?"

"Because when I was younger," Miranda said softly. "I also got a note from someone that used be my friend and it helped me to be able to forgive myself and move on."

"What are you talking about? Did you and aunt Lily have a fight?"

"No, me and another friend," Miranda said sadly. "I did something to this person that I couldn't forgive myself for. I had known that person since when we're little and I did something to that person that wasn't right," Miranda explained. "But I got a note from them and finally from those words they left me, I was able to forgive myself."

"What did you do?" Elena asked quietly.

"That's my story and my story alone," Miranda said with a faint saddest. "I will be keeping that to myself."

"Does dad know?"

"He does know," Miranda said with a soft smile. "Now, I need to go get ready for work and wake Stefan up, since I think I'll make him come in with me to work the counter since Sydney took a few days off and the other workers are just not quick enough."

"Okay," Elena said with a smile as she watched her mom disappear out of the kitchen. She looked down at the crumpled up note before slowly opening it. She had to read the single sentence over and over again. It read: 'Your wish, is my command, Princess.' She crumbled up the note and threw it in the trash before storming upstairs. She was beyond pissed at Damon in that moment and if he was standing in front of her, she would hurt him.

* * *

 **That Night –**

Everyone was seated around the dinning room table and laughter could be heard has Grayson told a funny story from his days at medical school. Elena smiled over to Tyler, who was staring back at her with a grin.

"So son, what are planning on doing after high school? Are planning on going into the work field or are you planning on going to college?" Grayson asked Tyler. "Elena plans on going to medical school after her first four years at University of Pennsylvania."

"College sir," Tyler said with a wink towards Elena and Grayson caught him. "I plan on following into my father's footsteps."

"And that is?"

"Becoming a lawyer. He wouldn't have it any other way."

"How is your dad?" Miranda asked. "I haven't spoken to him in along time."

"He's doing good, just very busy with different cases. Mom and him are planning a trip Martinique in a few weeks."

"That must be nice," Miranda said with a smile. "We never get to go on vacations by ourselves or with the family, too busy with the two business," she sighed. "Maybe we could plan a small trip back to Myrtle Beach and this time actually enjoy ourselves," she said with flirty smile towards her husband.

"Maybe…we are already planning the big thing," Grayson said reaching for his wine.

"What big thing?" Elena asked while looking between her parents.

"Nothing sweetie," Miranda said with a soft smile. "Grayson, I just forgot."

Elena looked over to Tyler with a raised eyebrow and he laughed. "So guys, what's the big thing you guys have planned?"

"Elena, leave it," Grayson said with a laugh.

"Stefan, do you know what they are talking about?" She asked as she looked over at Stefan.

"Not a clue, I'm just as curious as you are," Stefan said with a laugh.

"Are you planning a trip?" Elena asked while looking at her mom and then back at her father, who was looking down at his food. She knew her parent's were hiding something.

"Look who finally shows up," Grayson grumbled while watching Damon walk into the room and slid into the chair beside his daughter. "Where were you?"

"Out," Damon said while piling food onto his empty plate. Grayson could tell that Damon was drunk.

"Out where? Getting into another fight and are you drunk?" Grayson asked while sipping on his wine. "If you mess up again or come home with bruises on you, you'll be going to your father's," Grayson threatened and Damon glared down at his plate.

"I was out with friends," Damon said as he looked over at his brother and then the person sitting beside Stefan caught his eye. His facial expression changed into a glare as he stared at the 'Tyler guy.' "What are you doing here?"

"Damon, be nice," Miranda scolded. Elena nervously watched Damon

"Elena invited me and we had our project to work on," Tyler said in very polite way, but it spoke volumes. He was wishing that Elena had told him that Damon was staying at her house.

"Do you two know each other?" Grayson asked as he watched the two boys glaring at each other.

"Yeah, we met a few weeks back," Tyler said as he smiled over at Elena's father.

"Oh yeah, we met…should I tell you, uncle Grayson how he was rude to me," Damon said as he grinned over to Elena and she glared back at him. He squeezed her knee and she glared more at him.

"He wasn't rude to you," Elena snapped. "You were rude to him," she said at the same time her mom was saying, "I just don't believe he would be rude."

"Two different point of views and only one of them is true," Grayson said as he swished his wine around in his glass.

"Why don't you tell the truth, Elena," Damon said while letting his hand walk across her thigh and she slapped his hand away under the table but he caught her hand, bringing it over to his own thigh and placing it there. He began to run his fingers up and down her hand as she glared at him from the corner of her eye. She couldn't believe he was behaving the way he was, actually that was a lie because she could believe it.

"I already know the truth."

"We're you rude as Elena as said you were?" Grayson asked Damon.

"I was just testing him sir," Damon said with a smirk. "I was making sure he was good enough for Elena."

"We're you now?" Elena rolled her eyes and glared over at Damon as he nodded his head at her father. "Well I should be glad that Elena has a protector like you, but maybe next time you can be nicer," Grayson said while staring at Damon.

"Sure," Damon said as he began to eat his food.

"Are you kidding me?" Elena snapped while glaring over at Damon. She could feel Damon playing with her hand and it was making her blood boil as she remembered the note he had left her.

"Elena," Miranda chided.

"Sorry," Elena said with a blush creeping up her cheeks as she looked down at her plate. "Excuse me, I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick," she said before quickly standing up and moving swiftly out of the dinning room and towards the bathroom.

Everyone at the table stared at the spot that Elena had been sitting in, Damon couldn't get the grin off his face as he looked over at the nervous look Tyler was supporting.

"Wonder what could be wrong?" Grayson asked his wife.

"She hasn't been herself since this morning," Miranda supplied. "Stefan, have you talked to her today?"

"Haven't really had the chance," Stefan said as he took a drink from his cup.

"Damon, have you spoke to her today. I know you left her the note, but has she talked to you?" Miranda asked. "I'm worried about her. She looked like she was crying this morning. Did anything happen last night?" She asked Damon who was slightly smirking over at Tyler who was glaring back at him.

"No, been with Klaus and everyone all day," Damon said as he smiled over at his aunt. "Did she get the note?"

"She did, but did anything happen last night?"

"No, I just was annoying her but nothing horrible," he lied and he knew Tyler knew he was lying too, because he was glaring more at him. "Maybe I should go find her," Damon said as he stood up just as Tyler was standing up.

"I can find her," Tyler said at the same time.

"Boys stop," Grayson said calmly.

"Maybe Damon should go find her, they've been best friends since they were little," Miranda said with a smile.

"I'll be right back," he said with a smirk when he looked over at Tyler who was full on sending him a murderous glare.

"Of course," Tyler said while sitting down. "I'm glad that she has a friend such as you," he lied as he glared more over at Damon. Grayson kept watching the boys' interactions between each other and he already knew that one of them was lying and he was betting it was Damon, even if his wife didn't want believe him.

Elena was just coming out of the restroom when she felt herself being pushed back into the small room. She gasped when she felt someone push her up against the chilled wall and place their hand over her mouth. She tried to fight them off and tried to scream, but the person holding her there was using every tactic to overpower her.

"Shh," she heard Damon whisper into her ear before he placed a kiss at the shell of her ear. "I only want to talk."

"Damon, let go of me," she tried to get out, but he had his hand on her mouth.

"What are you trying to say?" He laughed as he looked down at her. "Are you trying to say you're sorry for inviting your little lover boy over, without telling me," he growled. "Now why would you do that?"

"Damon!" She screamed into his hand and he laughed. She was beginning to panic. He was getting excited at the emotions passing through her eyes.

"Did you think it was wise to invite him over, while I was here?" He chuckled. "Does he know that I sleep in your bed?" She glared back at him and he just chuckled more. "Wonder what he would think if he did know?"

"Damon!" She screamed but it came out muffled. She couldn't understand what he was talking about. She knew he was possessive of her and hated when she was around other people, even his own brother. She remembered when they were younger and he used to try to keep her from playing with Stefan or even Caroline. She used to have to fight him over it, to make him let go of the hold he had on her. She remembered a few of their fights they had about him being so damn possessive of her and wanting her all to himself. He basically wanted all of her attention and didn't want to share it with anyone. He even hated when she wanted to spend time with her sister and brother, instead of him.

Her heart still fluttered when he said certain things or did certain things, but she never once thought he actually liked her in that way. She always knew their friendship was weird because she was basically his toy that he wanted all to himself. She hated him for that and now that they didn't spend every waking hour together, she was beginning to figure out just how weird their friendship was.

They had a somewhat unhealthy friendship, but that didn't mean she didn't miss it to a point. He was her best friend or used to be. He was the one person who knew her inside and out, knew her darkest secrets and her dreams. She knew that he knew that he was her other half and that's what scared her so much. She wanted to find a way, away from him and was just beginning to figure that out. This week helped open her eyes to their odd friendship, his weird behaviors towards her that did not make sense since he did not like her in that way.

She was the only one that actually felt anything more than friendship in their weird codependency relationship. She now was beginning to understand why teachers worried about them and told their parent's to separate them or why other parents' thought something was wrong with them. She remembered she wasn't allowed to be in the same classes with him when they were in elementary, but in middle school and high school that all changed.

"You should already know I'm going to kill him if he touches you," he growled into her ear and it made her shiver. She couldn't understand what was going on in his head. She could only figure that he was drunk.

"Damon, please," she begged when he let of her mouth. "Please let go of me."

"Why would I do that when you're going to run back to him? You know you belong to me."

"I belong to no one," she cried. "I'm my own person."

"I know it, your parents know it," he whispered into her ear as she tried to push him away. "And I know you know it…that you're mine and always have been. Hell we we're born on the same day."

"Your drunk, just let me go," she cried as she pushed him away. He stumbled a bit, falling back onto the toilet and she glared down at him. "Your drunk and talking out of your ass. Stay away from me and Tyler," she said while wiping the tears gone. "Are you happy? You have me crying again…for the second night in a row. Is this what you wanted? Did you want me upset? Was this your plan all along, fuck with my emotions? Well you did…you got what you wanted," she said as she threw her hands up in the air before she opened the door and Damon stood up, trying to walk towards her. She put her hand up to stop him and he paused in mid step, studying her in a very calculating way. "Clean yourself up before your return to the table. Your already on thin ice with my dad," she said before slamming the door behind her.

Elena was a bit shaken up as her and Tyler looked over their work. She had taken a lot of notes and Tyler was showing some of his notes. Elena was sitting on her bed beside Tyler, who was looking through one of the books he had brought with him.

"You okay?" He asked as he looked up from the book he was reading.

"Oh, yeah," she mumbled.

"You sure?" He asked again as he placed the book beside him. She just stared down at her notes, reliving the few short moments shared with Damon in the bathroom. She just couldn't believe he had behaved that way. He was crossing a line earlier. "Is it because of Damon?"

"Huh?" She asked while looking up at him.

"Damon? Is it because of Damon?"

"What about Damon?"

"The reason why you're acting weird. Are you okay? He didn't do anything? Did he? I know he didn't come back to the table, is that because something happened?"

"Oh…I – I don't know," she mumbled while looking down at her notes again. "Damon's just Damon. Nothing new."

"He seemed drunk tonight. Why didn't your parent's do something about it?"

"Dad probably didn't want to upset mom since aunt Lily's in the hospital and Damon's already on thin ice with my dad, so he's probably just biding his time to nail him."

"Why does your parent's put up with him?"

"Because he's my aunt Lily's son, my mom's Godson," she explained with a sigh. "You wouldn't understand."

"Let me try," he said while sliding closer to her and she smiled at him, blushing a little bit. "I would like to get to know you better and if that means, getting to know everyone in your life…then I'm down for it."

"Really?" She asked a little surprised.

"Yes, because I would like to know you. I would like to know what makes you, you…the person that I like," he said before leaning down to kiss her but pulled away when he heard someone cough really loud. Both Tyler and Elena looked towards her door to see Damon standing there with his arms folded and murderous look on his face.

"Do you tell that to all the girl's that when you want to get in their pants? And," Damon paused when he saw the furious look Elena was supporting. "And…does it work?" He asked with a smirk.

"Damon!" Elena said in a deadly tone as she stood up, but Tyler stopped her. She looked back at Tyler before turning to him. "I'm sorry…apparently Damon wants to be an ass tonight."

"That's fine," Tyler said while standing. "Dude…we're working here. Can you leave?" Tyler said while pulling Elena to his side. It made Tyler smile when he saw the fixed stare that Damon had on his arm that was thrown around Elena's middle.

"No, I don't think I will," Damon said while moving further into the room. "Don't you remember what I told you Elena? You couldn't have just forgotten what I told while we we're in the bathroom."

"Damon!" She hissed at him. "We are trying to finish our work here and you need to go sober up."

"Oh," he bitterly laughed. "I'm sober."

"Dude you need to leave before I go get her father," Tyler said while placing Elena behind him. Damon stepped closer and Tyler glared up at him. "You're crossing a line."

"Damon," she said while stepping in front of Tyler and pushing him back while stepping towards Damon who smirked over at Tyler. "You need to leave, now."

"Why?" He said with a bigger smirk. "I was just getting ready for bed and I didn't know you two would be trying to have sex on my bed."

"Your bed?" Tyler asked has he looked over at Elena confused.

"He's talking none sense," Elena said with angry look.

"Oh," Damon laughed, "you haven't told him."

"Told me what?" Tyler asked while staring at Elena.

"Nothing," Elena said through clenched while glaring at Damon. "Please leave," she growled. "You have no business coming in here starting things."

"I wasn't," Damon said while reaching out to grab her but she backed up.

"Damon, that's what you just did," she growled before sighing. "Leave."

"No, I don't think I will. I think I'll stay right here and make sure the mutt keeps his hands off of you."

"Damon, he's my boyfriend," she hissed.

"But you sleep beside me at night, letting me hold you," he said while moving closer to her. "Does he know how to comfort you when it's storming outside? Does he know your favorite flower?" Damon inched closer to her, until he was standing right in front of her. He could tell that at any minute Tyler was going to lash out at him. "Does he know how to please you? Does he know how to make your heart beat faster," he whispered into her ear and it took everything in her not blush at what he was saying.

"Elena?" Tyler asked in a quiet voice.

"Ignore him, Tyler…he's being an ass," Elena said while turning her head back to look at Tyler who was standing there with a dumbfound look on his face. "Damon you need to go rest and sober up, because your talking about things you wouldn't talk about if you weren't drunk," she said calmly while pushing him towards the door and he let her. "Use my brother's bedroom."

"But I want you," he said while grabbing her hand. "Take care of me," he whispered.

"Damon!" She sighed loudly. "You're bugging us while we're trying to do our project that is worth half our grade and your being an ass."

"But I'm your ass, right?"

"Elena?" Tyler asked while walking up behind her.

"Damon just leave, you've done enough," she growled while pushing him towards the door.

"I'm not leaving unless he leaves first," Damon said while glaring over at Tyler.

"Like she said, your drunk and we need to work on our project," Tyler said while throwing an arm over Elena shoulder.

"I'm not leaving until she tells you what we've been up to since I've been staying here."

"What is he talking about?"

"Nothing," she sighed while glaring at Damon. All three teens stared at each for a few minutes before Elena said, "Tyler…I think we're going to have to stop where we are at, for now."

"What?" Tyler asked surprise.

"He won't quit until you leave and we don't need to deal with this while we're trying to work on our project," she said with a sigh.

"That's just letting him win," Tyler pointed out.

"I know," she sighed. "But it's easier on me."

"Why don't you tell your parents?"

"Because I can't upset my mom right now," she explained with a sigh. "She's dealing with so much right now."

"That doesn't mean you should have to put up with him."

"I'm standing right here."

"Yeah we know," both Tyler and Elena said at the same time. "Please Tyler, please understand," she begged and Tyler finally nodded his head. "We'll finish this when we go back to school. We'll schedule sometime after our practices to work in the library."

"Yeah, okay," Tyler said while picking up his books and bookbag.

"She already has you whipped," Damon laughed. "How does it feel to have to do everything that she says?"

"Damon, shut up," she hissed. "You got your way."

"Okay, I'll see you later," Tyler said leaning down to kiss her, but Damon pushed her out of the way and was making his way towards Tyler. Elena jumped in the mess, raising her own fist and connecting with Damon's nose as he charged towards Tyler. Damon stood there for a few seconds not saying anything, because he couldn't believe that Elena had actually punched him. Elena watched as the blood run out of his nose, feeling horrible for punching him and how her hand was throbbing.

"Oh God," she whispered. "You're bleeding," she said while reaching up to touch his face, but he moved away from her. "Damon, your nose is bleeding."

"You've done enough Snitch," he hissed while reaching up to see that she was right about his nose.

"Tyler, please," she begged while turning around to face him. "I'll text you later okay. Damon's just an ass and I don't need to upset my parent's anymore than they already are," she explained while helping Tyler out into the hallway. "I need to take care of him and we'll figure out away to meet up in the library in school."

"Okay," he said while kissing her on the head but he could see the murderous look he was getting from Damon. "If it was me, I would let him take care of himself. He doesn't deserve your kindness."

"I know," she sighed before reaching up to kiss him. "I'll text you later."

"Okay," he said before making his way down the steps. She could hear her father asking him if he was leaving already and him replying to her father.

She turned back to look at Damon and she glared at him. "Are you happy?" She whispered before pulling him into the bathroom. He glared down at her as she pushed him down on the toilet. "Don't look at me like that. You deserved that and you deserve a lot more," she said in deathly calm voice. "You don't realize how much you have made my life a living hell. You tell me you hate me and then you come a long this week and send me flowers to my work with that note," she said as she angrily stared down at him. "Crawling into my bed at night, making me sit on your lap during the movie and then whispering in my ear," she growled. "Have you achieved what you wanted to do? Did you get what you wanted? To me see me miserable," she said to him while poking him in the shoulder. "Your mom is in the hospital Damon and your playing games with my emotions. What is wrong with you?"

"Elena," he tried to say while trying to stand up, but she pushed him back down on the toilet.

"Oh shut up," she said angrily. "Your ruined what Tyler and I were doing and for what, your sick pleasure of ruining my life," she snapped. "Don't you get it? We were working on a project that is half our grade and he's my boyfriend," she said while turning around to face the bathroom door, trying to regain any calm she could. "But none of this matters to you because your some barbarian that likes to make me feel horrible," she said while biting her lips because she was about to cry. "Are you happy?"

"Elena," he tried again but she turned around and glared at him with tears falling down her cheeks.

"I'm officially done," she said with pursed lips. "You've pushed me too far this time with your little stunt and the thing is, you don't even care if you fucked it up for me and Tyler. It only matters if it affects you. I'm beginning to learn to that now. You're a bastard," she said while leaning down so they were eye level. "The only reason I never told anyone what you've done to me," she whispered. "Wasn't to protect you, but protect my mom and your mom," she said with scowl. "You don't realize it yet, but I don't care anymore. I don't care what happens to you or what you do. I know you hate me, I know you were only messing with my emotions this week," she said while standing up and wiping a way a tear. "Are you happy?" She said while squeezing down on his bruised nose and he winced. "Did you ever once love me, Damon…even if it was just as your friend?" She asked him and he didn't saying. He just stared back up at her and it broke her heart. "Starting now, take of your nose your damn self," she said before dashing out of the bathroom and slamming her bedroom shut. The door rattled as it shut loudly.

Damon sat there in the bathroom for a second longer than he should have, before getting up and racing towards her bedroom to find her bedroom door locked. He knew in that moment, he couldn't pick the lock and go in because she would never forgive him. He feared that she would never forgive. He knew in that moment that he had crossed a line, but he had been riding that line all week in matter of speaking that he was upset a little bit crazy after talking to his father these past couple of days. He had her so close and with his father pushing to do better in school, and then his mother being in the hospital. He was at his breaking point and seeing Tyler getting ready to kiss what was his, well that just drove him crazier.

Damon knocked on the door, opening that she would forgive him like she always did, because she was such a kind person. "Elena," he said through the door. "I'm sorry, Star…please open the door!" He begged, but he was met by silence.

Damon slumped against the door. Putting his face in his hands, he just sat there with his back against the door. He couldn't bare the thought of leaving her and he knew that need to change or at least tell her what was going. He needed to ask her forgiveness, but he was afraid that she would never forgive him. He knew that she was right in that fact that he had pushed her too far.

"What's going on?" Grayson gruffly asked as he came up the steps. "Why are you sitting there?" Damon looked up at him and then back down at his hands. Grayson could see the dried blood on Damon's nose. "What happen?"

"Nothing," Damon mumbled.

"Are you going to tell me or I'm I going to have to make you," Grayson said with a sigh before taking a seat across from Damon. "Does your broken nose have anything to do with my daughter?"

"She punched me."

"Did you deserve it?"

"Maybe," Damon mumbled. "I was pissing her off."

"Oh, I bet you were," Grayson said with a shake of his head at the look Damon gave him. "Oh don't give me that look. You're a little shit and you know it."

"Uncle?"

"You were probably doing something that pissed her off and you deserve whatever you got," Grayson said while reaching out to pull Damon's hand away from his nose. He studied his Godson's broken nose and hummed when he could tell that it was already bruising nicely. "She got you good."

"Yeah I know."

"Do you want to tell me what you were doing to piss her off enough to punch you?" Grayson asked. "Would it have anything to do with why Tyler left early?

"Maybe."

"Oh I know it does," Grayson said in a displeased voice. "I know you've been treating my daughter wrongly this week. I know you both have been fighting. Miranda might put up with it because your Lily's precious son, but I won't allow you to treat her badly. If you don't shape up and stop your shit, you're going to lose her and I will never allow you to be around her."

"Uncle?"

"Don't," Grayson said with displeased look on his face. "I know you love her. I see the looks you give her when you think no one else is looking, they are the same looks I give Miranda, but you treating my daughter like shit won't win you any points with me or her," Grayson said as he glared at Damon. "I know things you don't want me to know, boy."

"Like what?" Damon whispered. He knew Grayson wasn't someone to mess with.

"Like you stealing things, drinking, cutting classes, even failing those classes," Grayson listed a few things. "I see a lot of myself when I was younger in you and let me tell you something, I had to learn quickly to change myself because something horrific happened."

"I don't understand."

"I was once in your place…thought I knew everything," Grayson said with a sad smile. "I would talk back to my father. I couldn't stand him, because he wanted me to be just like him," Grayson said before pausing. "I would stay out late partying with my friends, doing whatever I pleased…until one night we got so drunk me and my friends," Grayson explained. "We were out at swimming hole one night and one of my friends, he was acting stupid and he fell, hitting his head before landing into the water. We were all too stupid to realize what had happened. We actually began to laugh and think it was funny," Grayson said slowly. "It wasn't until he didn't come back up, that one of us realized that something horrible just happened," he said with a sad face.

"But –"

"It won't happen to you," Grayson said calmly. "I wouldn't bet on it," he said before pausing. "We thought the same thing, until my best friend drown, because we were all too drunk and too stupid enough to save him. I had to stand in front of his parents and ask forgiveness and I don't want you to have to go through that. I don't want you to put, Elena into that position. I told you once that you need to be nice to her and if you love her like I think you do, you need to change. I can tell you're right now son, I won't allow you around her if you don't change."

"I know," whispered Damon. "I don't think she will forgive me, because she knows what I have been up to."

"Oh, I know she does," Grayson said quietly. "I also know that she for whatever reason, sees good you. Maybe you should be the person she knows that you can be," Grayson said while standing up. "Now come along…stop pinning at her door because that won't win you any points either," Grayson said while motioning for Damon to follow him. "I'll fix your nose," he said while having Damon follow him down the stairs.

* * *

 **April 19** **th** **2008 (Saturday)**

Elena was busy filing papers' for her father as she worked at the front desk for her dad. She still hadn't forgiven Damon for what he had done and she didn't plan on forgiving him anytime soon either. She was upset with him and had cried herself asleep for another night, because she couldn't believe she had let Damon fool her again. She was slowly moving past it because she didn't want to care anymore, but she knew that she was lying to herself.

She was busy putting files in the filing cabinet when she heard the bell on the door ringing. Raising her head to see who was coming in, she found Damon walking in while holding his bleeding head and her heart sped up.

"What's going on?" Elena asked while staring at Damon.

"I know I'm good looking, but can you please stop staring at me Princess," Damon said with a laugh. "Where's your dad?"

"What happened to you?" Elena asked as she moved towards him.

"Not like you care," he mumbled.

"Then you don't know me at all, Damon," she said with a sigh and Damon could tell that he had hurt her again, but he was a little pissed at that moment. He had fallen out of a window after having a high heel being thrown at his head after telling Adrianna that he was breaking up with her and then her father getting home early and him trying to escape out the window. He had went over there to break up with her, because he was trying to be the person his uncle was telling him needed to be for Elena. He knew that he needed to grow up and stop being stupid, he needed to get his shit together, because Elena wasn't going to be waiting around for much longer.

"Elena, who's here?" Grayson asked as he came out of his office to find Damon standing there with a gash in his forehead. "What happened?"

"I would like not to say," Damon mumbled.

"It wasn't anything illegal was it?" Grayson asked while motioning Damon to follow him into the exam room. Elena couldn't hear what Damon had said and it made her wonder what had happened.

* * *

 **April 20** **th** **2008 (Sunday)**

Stefan and Damon would be leaving tonight when Elena's parents would be bringing Lily back for her welcome home party with the family. Elena wasn't sure if she would miss having Stefan and Damon at her house the whole time or be glad to have her own space back. She still hadn't spoken to Damon since that night; she could barely look at him. She was happy her aunt was better, even if her aunt had to now use a breathing machine. She was happier that Damon would be going home, so she didn't have to see his face again. She was also happy that she would be starting school tomorrow and she was ready to go back, her spring break sucked.

Elena was busy walking into the shelter that morning, no one else was here that early and Elena enjoyed the peace and quiet. She began to get to work on cleaning the kennels, when she noticed a little white bundle wrapped up in blankets in one of the smaller kennels in the veterinary clinic apart. She picked up the file that was attached to the kennel, reading to see that the little dog had been brought in the night before because the little dog that had been hit by a car. She frowned and looked at the little dog before letting her hand run over the fluffy white had. The little dog had bandages wrapped around its middle and front paw.

"You poor thing," she whispered. "It'll be okay…I promise that not all people are like the ones that hit you." She could hear knocking on the front door of the veterinary clinic, so she closed the clinic door and made her way towards the reception area to find Damon standing outside the door.

Slowly opening the door she said, "Damon? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I didn't know you would be here?" He said while scratching the back his head, a nervous happen of his. "I was actually coming to check in on the dog that I brought in last night. I wanted to see if Doc was able to do anything for him."

"You're the one that brought the little white dog?" She asked in surprise. "You didn't run it over, did you?" He glared back at her and it made her feel guilty for asking that. "Sorry."

"No, I didn't run him over," Damon said while staring back at her. "I saw the car that did it and that's why I brought him here last night."

"That's where you were last night?"

"Yeah, so you can tell your dad that I wasn't out with friends, I was actually being responsible."

"Why not tell him yourself," she said while staring up at him, searching his face for something that would tell her that someone had switched places with him.

"How is the dog?" Damon asked after a minute of silence.

"I don't know…I just got in," she answered. "I read the file and Doc says that they tried to do surgery but they would have to wait and see if the little guy was able to make it. He's pretty banged up," she explained from what she had read in the file. "I would come by later to ask Doc, when he gets in."

"Okay, thanks," he said while scratching the back of his head again as he turned around to leave.

"Damon," she called out to him, making stop moving. "What you did for the dog," she paused. "That was really sweet and responsible. You did the right thing." He just stood there for a couple seconds before walking away. He didn't know how to response to what she had said.

* * *

 **April 23** **rd** **2008 (Wednesday Night)**

Elena made her way into the clinic late that night, tired from all of her work and soccer practice. Prom was this weekend and she hadn't had time to think about it, because she was so busy trying to do her schoolwork and take care of the little dog. Her mom told her that she should just head up to bed, but she had to come to the clinic and check on the little white dog that stole her heart Sunday Morning. She had been visiting the little dog every night after practice, along with Damon since he showed up Monday night to check on the little dog and stayed with her until she left. She got to talk to Dr. Winfield and he had told her that he had done surgery on the dog and now it was waiting game to see if the dog was strong enough to make it. Dr. Winfield explained that the poor little dog pretty damaged on the inside and he explained to Elena that the little dog probably wouldn't make it, but Elena begged him to give the little dog a chance. She couldn't bare the thought of the little dog being put down.

Elena greeted a few of the girls and asked them how the little dog was doing and they said the same. They mentioned that someone she knew was in one of the exam rooms with the little dog. Elena gave them a small smile before going to the exam room they mentioned to find Damon there holding the little dog, trying to comfort him.

"How's he doing?" She asked softly. They had been doing this each night since Monday, just sitting with the little dog, trying to get him to eat or drink. Elena couldn't believe that she was seeing her best friend again when Damon interacted with the fluffy white dog. It broke her heart to know that these were probably the only moments that she would be able to see her best friend again. In these few short hours each day, Elena could deal with Damon being around her and them not fighting over the littlest thing.

"He's the same, but he finally tried to get up and get a drink by himself," Damon explained with a smile.

"That's good to hear," she said with a smile. "What did Dr. Winfield say or have you not been able to talk to him?"

"He said they want to run x-ray's tomorrow and see if he's doing any better. Doc thinks that his kidney's are failing him and that his insides might be too damaged."

"Oh poor little guy," Elena said while pulling a chair up. "Do you know if anyone has came in to say if they are missing a dog or not?"

"No ones came forward," he mentioned while watching her petting the little dog's head. "I feel like maybe we should leave him in his kennel if he's hurting."

"Doc hasn't said anything about it and I couldn't bare the thought of him not knowing any love. He deserves to know some type of love," she said in a sad voice. "Imagine living a life like."

"I couldn't."

"Exactly," she said with a faint frown as she looked up at him. "I asked my mom if he makes it, if I could have him."

"And?" He asked.

"She said she would think about it," she said with sad face. "I hope everything goes well and she'll let me.

"Elena?" He said while staring at her. "I need to tell you something."

"What?" She asked while looking up at him. They really hadn't talked to each other about anything that had happened Thursday night or anything else, beside the little dog.

"Could you help me with some of my classes?"

"Why?" She asked while looking at the little dog that was sleeping.

"I'm failing most of them," he said with a pause to see what she would say. "I haven't been the best student." She looked up at him to see that he was genuine. "Please."

"So you want me to tutor you?"

"Yeah."

"But your smart."  
"Apparently not," he said with bitter laugh. "I haven't turned in any of my work for the past couple of weeks."

"Why?" She asked skeptically.

"Because I've been too stupid," he said while looking down at the little dog in his arms.

"Damon," she paused. "It's not that you don't get the subject matter, it's because you are just not doing your work. I know your smart," she said while staring at him as he looked up at her. "Your not stupid."

"Will you help me?"

"I don't think you need help," she said with a sigh. "I think you need to just get your ass in gear and do your work."

"So?"

"So that means that if you want to come over to my house at a certain time each night to work on your homework, while I work on mine…then okay."

"Really?" He asked surprised. "I thought you were done helping me."

She frowned at him before saying, "I will always help you when you are being yourself…but when you turn into that person you where Thursday night, then no."

"Thank you," he said while rubbing his thumb across the little dog's forehead. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did Thursday night. I crossed a line."

"You did," she said while petting the little dog. "I don't understand what you were thinking you would achieve or why you did it, but yes you did cross a line. "

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Can you forgive me?"

"I'll think about it," she said while looking up at him.

* * *

 **April 24** **th** **2008 (Thursday Night)**

The room was silent while Dr. Winfield explained to Elena and Damon the best choices for the little dog since Damon had went a head and adopted the dog the night before, planning on give Elena the little dog if it had made it through.

"So your telling me there is nothing else we can do?" She asked withtears in her eyes.

"Elena dear," Dr. Winfield paused. "I told you we would give it a try, but the little guys kidneys are failing, and that means that soon he will begin to starve and that's no way to go. The damage from the impact of the car rattled his insides. Overnight he has gotten worse. The best thing for him, is for him to be put down"

"Please tell me there is something we can do?" She begged as she reached out to pet the little dog's head.  
"Elena, please understand that we have tried to do everything for him. The reason he hasn't show any sign of being in pain is because he's been on so much medication."

"Not enough," she cried. "But if you say that he's going to be in pain if he's taken off the medication and that he's only got days to live," she paused before bursting into full on tears. Damon wrapped his arms around Elena. She buried her head into his chest, letting herself being comforted by him.

"If you want to wait outside and I'll come get you when it's done, we can do that or –"

"I'll wait right here with him," she said while crying more. "I couldn't bare the thought of letting him pass on without someone being with him that loved him. He shouldn't have that happen to him. He deserves someone that cares for him being here," she said while brushing her hand over his little head.

"Are you sure, Elena? Do you want me to call your parents?"

"Yeah I'm sure and you don't need to call them," she said while leaning her head down to the little dog's head. "It'll all be okay, soon."

"Okay," Dr. Winfield said as he brought out a needle first. Elena had to look away, placing her head beside the little dog's head as Dr. Winfield injected the dog with sleeping medication before finally injecting the dog in the heart with medication that would for not the let the little dog look up at Elena ever again. Elena began to cry harder when she knew that the little dog was gone.

"I'll give you minute," Dr. Winfield said before leaving the room. Damon wrapped his arms around Elena's shoulder as she cried more, hugging the little dog to her as she leaned over his motionless body.

"It's okay Elena," he said as he kissed the side of her head.

"He's gone," she said while looking up at Damon. "He's really gone."

"I know," he said while trying to hold back his own tears. "Maybe I should call your mom to come sit with you."

"No," she said while shaking her head. "She's too tired from work and I don't want to bother her. She's told me all week not to get attached to him," she said while biting her tongue to stop herself from crying.

"Do you want me to leave?" He asked while looking down at her.

"No, stay with me," she begged as she turned around and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close her. She buried her head into his chest, letting herself cry more. She couldn't believe how much that little dog had made her fall in love with it.

"Elena…Damon," Dr. Winfield said as he came back into the room. "I was wondering if you would like for me to have the dog cremated. You can't bury him in the ground, unless he's in a box like a human…or it's against the law," he explained.

"Cremated I guess…but I don't have the money," she said before pausing. "He should have a name too."

"Didn't Damon tell you," Dr. Winfield explained. "He adopted the dog yesterday after you left."

"Damon?" She questioned.

"I was planning on giving him to you, if he made it," Damon explained. "I'll pay for everything," he said while bringing his wallet out.

"You don't have to pay for anything," Dr. Winfield said with a smile. "What you guys did for him was payment enough."

"Thank you," Elena whispered.

* * *

 **April 24** **th** **2008 (Thursday Afternoon)**

Elena woke up tired to find Damon not sleeping beside her. Damon had brought her home that night, explaining to her parents what had happen. Her mom was a little upset that she wasn't called but said that she understood. Elena's parents had allowed Damon to spend the night since Elena hadn't wanted him to leave. Elena's mother against her father's wishes, told Elena that she should stay home the next day and rest up. Miranda even said that she would have Lily call Damon in tomorrow, so he could stay home with Elena.

Damon had held Elena the whole night, letting her cry and telling her everything would be fine. She couldn't believe how much the little dog had wormed his way into her heart in those short few days. She guess it had to do with how she knew the little dog had been alone in the world and hadn't got the chance to have a good life. She still couldn't believe Damon had adopted the dog and was planning on gifting her the dog when the dog made it through.

She sat up in her bed, looking at the spot Damon had been sleeping and wondering where he had gone to. She slowly got up out of her bed, texting Damon, asking him if he was downstairs or not. Elena got a text back, saying that he was out. She didn't text him back, she just began to get dress in something that was comfortable and made her way downstairs to find that her parents where at work.

Elena made her way to into the living room with her bowl of cereal. She flicked on the TV and let herself relax there for a few hours before she finally got herself up and decided that she would stop be sad. She made her way outside of the house while texting Damon to ask him where he was at, because she would to see him. He was the only thing keeping her sane in this whole mess.

She made her way over to his house to find a few cars parked outside, and she looked down at her clock to realize that most of the high school students on the island would be out of school. She debated going up to the front door, but she wanted to see Damon and that won out, so she made her way up to the front door.

Knocking on the front door, she was surprised when Adrianna opened the door. "Look what the cat drags in," Adrianna laughed.

"Hi," Elena said slowly. "Is Damon home?" She asked while peaking over Adrianna's shoulder to see that a few people were in the living room.

"Yeah, but what's to you? Why would he want to see you?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," she bit out. She wasn't in the mood to be talking to Adrianna.

"Oh but I think you do or I won't tell him you're here," Adrianna said with a laugh.

"I don't think that's up to you," Elena harshly said. "Go tell him I'm here."

"Yeah I don't think I will Snitch," Adrianna said in a hoity tone. "You're a Snitch and you don't get to boss me around, especially about my boyfriend," Adrianna said while crossing her arms over her chest. "You can leave now, because he would never want to see your poor ass around here. You don't belong here Elena, you never did."

"Your bitch, did you know that," Elena snapped.

"I might be, but that's better than being you," Adrianna said with a laugh. "I don't know what you think your doing here, but Damon still hates you, we all do. Should have heard him when he got home, he was telling us all about you and how you were bugging him to be his friend again," Adrianna laughed. Elena face blushed pink and Adrianna laughed more. "Said you were so embarrassing, that he finally had tell you that he would because he felt bad for you."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Elena hissed.

"Don't I," Adrianna laughed. "Why not do yourself a favor and leave. Don't embarrass yourself any further." Elena didn't have anything to say back to her. She tried to look over Adrianna shoulder to see if she could see Damon and she couldn't. "Oh are you looking for him," Adrianna taunted. "He's out with Klaus for a minute. Might want to leave before he gets here or he'll call the cops on you."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh but I think do," Adrianna said with a smirk. "He said that you tried to sleep beside him each night and that you wouldn't take no for answer. That you had to be around him the whole time he was at your house, like you were some lovesick puppy. He said you were pathetic."

"You're lying," Elena snapped but her heart sank because she was beginning to wonder what Damon had told all of them. She was beginning to wonder if Damon had lied to not only her, but also lied to all of his friends about what really happened during last week.

"But I'm not," Adrianna laughed. "He told all of us, laughing the whole time."

"Forget it Adrianna," Elena snapped as she turned on her heels rushing down the steps, crying to herself as she ran smack into Damon as he was coming up the steps.

"Elena?" He questioned as he held her there, staring down at her.

"Let go of me," she snapped as she tried to look away from him. "I know you lied about everything and then went back to your friends and told them all lies to about last week. Calling me pathetic and a lovesick puppy, following you around," she said while glaring up at him. "Why didn't you tell them that was you?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he looked down at her and then over at Adrianna. "What did you do?" He questioned Adrianna, before looking at Klaus who had his hands raised.

"I didn't do anything," Adrianna said with a pout. "She came over here spouting none sense."

"Just let go of me Damon, you've done enough," she said with tears in her eyes. "I realize now how stupid I was to believe that you could even change," she hissed before turning to look at Klaus and Adrianna. "You'll realize sooner or later he's lying to you too. He lies to everyone around him," she said before rushing down the steps towards her parents' car.

"What did you do?" Damon demanded as he stared angrily at Adrianna. "You did something?" He said as he advanced on her and she had the decency to look scared and guilty.

"I didn't do anything," she hissed. "I just told her the truth.

"You mean lying to her," he yelled. "How could you do that?" He said as he pushed her into the wall.

"Damon, you're hurting me," Adrianna said with a winced as she stared up at Damon who was glaring down at her.

"Damon, let go of her man," Klaus was pulling Damon away from girl. "Go cool off. Adrianna was stupid, but that doesn't mean you need to hurt her."

"She hurt Elena," he snapped.

"You can explain to her everything," Klaus reasoned. "She'll believe you, she always does."

"I don't think this time she will," he growled while glaring over at Adrianna who looked away from him. "Stay the fuck away from me," he snapped at Adrianna as he stormed into his house, telling all of his friends to leave as he stormed upstairs, slamming his door shut.

He took a seat on his bed, putting his head in hands and cursing. He couldn't believe Elena would actually believe what Adrianna had told her. The only thing he could think was that Elena must think so little of him or still not trust him enough.

He was already feeling slightly pissed after having to his meet with his father earlier that day, that's why he had invited his friends over so he could get drunk or maybe a little high so he could forget about his meeting with his dad. He hadn't wanted to leave Elena, but his father had called him and told him to make his way to his house since he had been given the day off. Most of his day was spent listening to his father telling him how worthless he was and how much of a screw up he was. He really hated his father and now with Elena hating him again, he was ready to murder anyone that crossed him badly. He wanted to scream as he picked up a beer bottle that was unopened on his nightstand. He took a long swig of it, before flopping back on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. He felt like every emotion he was feeling was crawling around inside him of him, trying to make it's way out and he didn't know how to handle it.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, I'm sorry for being late with this chapter and thank you guys for all your support. I hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter. Don't be too mad at me. I know you guys will hate Adrianna and be wondering why Elena believed her, but I have my reasons.**

 **About the little dog: My own dog that just passed away was because of kidney failure, so I was just going with what happened during those days. I'm sure if getting hit by a car would cause, so that's why I also mentioned that he was in a lot of pain and his insides were damaged a bit.**

 **BlueEyes1992:** Thank you for your review. Are you sure Elena will dump Tyler or do you think maybe something will happen? Damon's struggling with his own self. He has to get over a lot of issues before anything can happen. You could be right about Elena pushing Damon out of a window. I hope you liked jealous Damon in this chapter.

 **TVDFan245:** Thank you for your review. Thank you! Yes, Damon is immature at the moment. Lily will get better, she's finally home. Hope you liked jealous Damon in this chapter.

 **giovanna112009:** Thank you for your review.

 **Until Delena Comes Back:** Thank you for your review. I'm sorry, but I can't push Damon and Elena together yet. I promise it's not a Tyler and Elena fanfic.

 **Margie:** Thank you for your review.

 **Dove:** Thank you for your review. That's totally fine, but thank you.

 **jairem:** Thank you for your review. Yes, Lily will be okay. Oh, Damon does have a long way to come. Well this chapter might make you happy since he broke up with Adrianna. Elena doesn't know the he loves her, so she wouldn't be upset seeing him with someone else and in his mind, he wants her jealous but it's not working.

 **Imagination Run Wild:** thank you for your review. I surprised your okay with Elena and Tyler being together. Damon probably disappoints you more now since you read this chapter, am I correct? I hope your proud of Elena in this chapter. Oh she put him in his place a few times. I just hope she didn't come off as a bitch.

 **Florayezi:** thank you for your review. I can't promise you no more Elena and Tyler, but I can promise you that it's not a Tyler and Elena fanfic.

 **kfulmer7:** Thank you for your review. I don't know about calling a real truce, Elena is still very upset with him.


	12. Prom Night From Hell

****************I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of my new story, La Mia Stella. So please review and let me know what you guys think, but also no flames, but I also like your ideas. Also some of the characters may seem out of character, I hope they are not, but it's all part of the story. Also all the characters belong to the author, just not the ones that I created. Also, this story isn't based in Mystic Falls, it's based on something I came up with, I hope everyone enjoys.****************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Heads up this chapter might be a little sad at the ending and a little aggravating. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'm a little nervous about updating and putting this chapter out here, because I've put so much time into it. I just hope you guys enjoy it.****************

 **Sorry I'm late about getting this chapter out. I know a few of you might be a little upset with me about not getting my chapters out on time and I apologize. A lot as changed since last March and some of it hasn't been in my control. I have this cute little boy that demands all of my attention be on him. There is many times I sit down to write and then my little boy comes and wants my attention, so I leave my writing for later and when I am finally ready to write and he's asleep, I'm too tired to write by then. Then I had something tragic happen, which happened in October and three of my doggies passed away from old age. Then Christmas came and I was busy working and trying make sure my little boy had the best Christmas ever. Then sometime later I got really sick and I know it's no excuse, but I wanted to explain why I haven't been updating like I should be and mostly it has to do with my kid. Which means, I won't be giving you the dates anymore of when I am going to update, so I won't be late anymore about updating.**

 **I can tell you this, I will be able to update a lot more come summer and when all the schools are out and I have free time. Again, I am sorry and please be patient with me.**

 **Thank you guys so much!**

* * *

 **April 25** **th** **2008 (Friday)**

The wind was lightly blowing has Elena stood waited for Bonnie and Taylor to finishing putting the last touches to the venue where the formal dance would be held. Elena yawned and looked at her cell phone to see that it was late. She wasn't just tired, but emotionally tired from the whole past week and everything to with Damon. She hated thinking about Damon and everything that had happened, she couldn't believe that she had trusted him again.

"So what do you think?" Bonnie asked as she came over to where Elena was standing.

"It's beautiful," Elena said while looking out at the garden that was lit up with tinkling lights.

"Do you think everyone else will like this?" Bonnie asked as she looked out at the garden.

"Oh yeah," Elena said with a smile.

"You ready to go," Bonnie asked while they walked back into the large mansion.

"You guys leaving?" Taylor asked from where she was standing on a ladder.

"Yeah, we got the garden finished," Elena said with a faint smile.

"I wish coach would allow us to not be there tomorrow, so we would have more time to get ready," Bonnie said while picking up her jacket and purse.

"Yeah, but we'll have a enough time since prom isn't until six," Taylor pointed out.

"True," Bonnie said with a shrug. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Yep," Taylor said with a smile.

Elena was making her way up her steps knowing that her parents were probably getting ready for bed since she had been out late getting the venue ready for tomorrow night. She wanted to be happy that tomorrow as her first prom, but something was holding her back from being happy. She just couldn't shake the whole thing with Damon and then the little dog. Her heart broke for the little dog that didn't know happiness until it last few days. She just didn't know how anyone could live with that and she wished she had been able to save the little dog.

She made her way inside to find her parents cuddled on the couch watching something on the TV. She tried to tiptoe pass them, but her father had caught her and she turned to look at her parents with wide eyes. She looked like a deer caught headlights.

"Elena?" Her dad questioned.

"Oh, hi," she quietly laughed. "Is it okay if I go to Caroline's?" She quickly asked.

"Sure if she's okay with it," her mom said while looking over at her daughter, noticing something was wrong with her. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," she said while trying not to yawn. "And Caroline's okay with it," she lied as she moved the strap of her bag up her shoulder before walking upstairs, pulling out her cell phone. She quickly dialed her friend's number.

"Hello?" She could hear her friend ask.

"Caroline," she asked quickly

"Elena?"

"Yeah," she said nervously. "I know it's late, but I lied and told my parents that you said I could come over," she paused before saying, "I really need my friend tonight."

"Sure Elena," Caroline said before pausing. "Dad's out of town this weekend and mom's working the night shift."

"Thank you so much!" Elena said while closing her eyes and falling back on her bed. "I owe you."

"Everything okay?"

"I'll explain to you when I come over," she said while sitting up and rubbing at her temples. "I'll be over in a sec, but I need to pack my bags first because I have a game tomorrow," she explained while standing up and beginning to pack her bags.

Elena was greeted with Caroline giving her hug and dragging her upstairs to her room. She was glad her parents didn't ask many question, but to a point her mother's love for Damon irradiated her to a point. She wished her parents could see what Damon was doing to her. The only upside to it all was that Jeremy was gone until summer and so she didn't have deal with him.

She plopped back on Caroline's bed laughing as Caroline jumped on the bed and landed beside her smiling. She tried to smile back at her friend and she knew Caroline knew something was wrong.

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Caroline asked.

"Where do I start," she said while staring up at the ceiling that Caroline had decorated with stars when they had been seven and eight, and she had never removed them since.

"From the beginning," Caroline tried to help.

"So you know how Damon had to stay at my house for the week?" She asked.

"Yeah, what did he do?" Caroline asked softly.

"Where do I start," she bitterly laughed. "So Damon and Stefan stayed at my house and well," she paused. "He acted weird for the most. He wanted me to forgive him –"

"Tell me you didn't?" Caroline asked quickly.

"No, never," Elena said quickly. "He would have to do something big to make me ever forgive him." She wanted to cry in that moment.

"That's good to hear," Caroline laughed a little before seeing the hurt look on her friends face. "So what else did he do?"

"He slept in my bed for the most of it, even when I didn't want him to," she explained she could tell Caroline wanted speak, but she held her hand up to stop her. "He was weird."

"Weird how?"

"One moment he was the Damon I remember," she said with tears floating at the rims of her eyelids. "And then the next he was acting possessive and calling me, his."

"What?" Caroline asked quickly out of surprise.

"And then there was points to where he was acting like an ass," she explained. "He tried to start a fight with Tyler and it just blew up from there," she said while shaking her head. "I finally told him that I was done saving his ass and done caring."

"What did he do?"

"I didn't wait to see. Found him asleep beside my door the next morning and I waited until he woke up before I went downstairs."

"I'm guessing more happened?"

"Oh yeah," she said while biting her lip. "I came in last week to the clinic and I found a little dog that had been found hit by a car," she explained while trying not to cry. She could feel Caroline squeezing her hand. "So I was working that morning when Damon showed up and I found out that he had been the one to find the little dog and bring it in, and he told me he was checking up on it," she explained while wiping the tears away. "We spend the whole week until Thursday spending time with the little dog, that's why Damon wasn't in school Thursday," she explained. "The little dog had passed away Wednesday night and throughout the whole time me and Damon spend time together at the clinic taking care of the little dog," she said while crying and Caroline rolled over and hugged her.

"It's okay." Elena just shook her head before sniffling.

"We bonded and that Damon carried me home and spent the time holding me while I cried," she said while wiping more tears away. "The next morning, which was Thursday I got up to find that Damon wasn't there and I texted him, but I didn't really get anything back expect that he was out," She explained. "So I," she paused before saying, "I…mmh." She bit her tongue before saying, "I went over to his house, looking for him but ran into Adrianna and she wasn't happy to see me."

"I'm not surprised, they broke up during spring break –"

"What?" Elena asked quickly surprised. She didn't know anything about that. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, it was all over the school…apparently she thought she was special to Damon and it would be different than all the other girls he has dated," Caroline said with amused chuckle. "So what else happened?"

"She was just a bitch to me and then I figured out that Damon had told everything to her and Klaus…and the rest of them," she said bitterly. "But he made it out like I was crazy love sick one that couldn't stop following him around. "

"That asshole," Caroline grounded out. "I can't believe he would do that…no wait I can believe that. I'm going to kill him the next time I see him," she hissed.

"It's fine Care, I don't want to deal with it anymore," she sighed. "I wish I could enjoy my prom."

"Tomorrows your prom right?" Caroline asked with a smile.

"Yeah and I'm not even excited."

"Really?"

"No because I can't stop thinking about what happened between me and Damon or the little dog."

"Oh Elena," Caroline said while hugging her friend. "Wait until you get there and you'll forget everything and have so much fun."

"I hope so," she said with a sigh.

"What else is wrong?"

"Beside my mom not seeing what Damon does."

"But you haven't told her, you've been lying to her and your dad."

"I know," Elena yelled while sitting up. "I just wish Damon wasn't such a good lair or that I have made him into something else to my parents."

"You wish your parents knew…don't you?" Caroline asked while sitting up and looking over at her friend.

"I do," she bitterly said while biting lower. "But how do I tell them?"

"Just tell them, screw everyone else."

"But aunt Lily is sick," she said while wiping more tears away.

"Elena, you deserve happiest too and if by telling your parents or even your mom will help with that, then tell them and screw everyone else. Your feelings matter too and what Damon does is just plain mean. He knows that you still feel something for him and he uses," Caroline rushed out and Elena could tell how much Caroline hated Damon. "Tell your mom."

"I'll think about it," she whispered before yawning.

* * *

 **April 26** **th** **2008 (Saturday)**

 **Later In The Day**

Elena was busy following her mom to the place she would be getting her hair done. Her mom was in front of her asking her what she planned on getting and Elena was too busy trying to keep her eyes up and she couldn't stop thinking about Damon and how much this time he had hurt her. She just couldn't believe that she had trusted him again.

Since the day that both Elena and Damon had been born, they have had a special bond that had only strengthened over time and then was broken. Elena remembered how possessive Damon used to be over when they had been younger and how he only wanted to be her friend, she remembered having to tell him that he wasn't her only friend. Back then he allowed her to have other friends, it wasn't until his parents spilt up that she started noticing a change in Damon and it really got worse in seventh grade. She remembered in seventh grade how Damon was almost struggling with himself, like he was having a war on the side. She remembered trying to talk Damon it to asking his parents if he could go see someone to talk about his emotions and feelings, but that had only blown up in her face.

When Damon's parents' split up, Elena was the only one that could comfort him, but some times it got to the point that Elena wasn't even strong enough to deal with Damon mood swings. She remembered how Damon only wanted her around and no one else, almost making it to the point that she was the only one to bring him back. Both sets of parents never thought anything of Damon's behavior because around them, he was just Damon and he was charming. Around Elena, Damon was a different and Elena could tell something had changed, because he had become more possessive. During what Elena termed Damon's dark days, Elena fell for him and she hated how to a point she didn't know if he ever felt the same way.

There was part of her deep down that still felt something for Damon and that was part of her that he had crushed not only once, but twice and she didn't know if she could go for a third time. She hoped that she could have strength to forget about him and pull away from him to have a life that wasn't evolved in this weird game that they played.

Elena didn't have it in her to think about prom or getting her hair done, because her heart ached for two totally different things and she wished that she could forget about and them and be a normal girl on prom day.

"Elena." She could hear her mom calling to her and she looked up to see her mom opening the door to the little shop.

"Yeah," she called out as she walked towards her mom, trying to mask her emotions.

"Did you figure out the hairstyle you wanted?"

"To be honest, no," she said with a faint smile.

"Elena sweetie," her mom laughed before seeing the look of hurt on her daughters face. "Elena what's wrong?"

"Nothing mom," she whispered before a tear slipped down her cheek. "I just can't stop thinking about the little dog."

"Oh Elena," Miranda said while letting the door close as she walked over to her daughter. She wrapped her arms around her daughter while hugging her. "Honey everything will be okay. You did a good thing by the little dog and it thanks you. You did a good thing and I am proud of you."

"You think?"

"Oh yeah," Miranda said with a smile. "You have such a good soul and that little dog was lucky to have been able to meet you."

"Thank you mom," she whispered.

"Come on," Miranda said while linking arms with her daughter while they walked into the store to find a woman about her mom's age with reddish orange hair that looked dyed.

"How's my favorite people," Lindsay said with a huge smile. "I hear it's someone's prom."

"Mine," Elena said with a faint smile, trying to act happy.

"You pick something yet for your hairstyle?"

"Not yet," she laughed. "Put here's what my dress looks like," she said while pulling her cell phone out to show Lindsay her dress.

"Pretty and pink," Lindsay laughed. "I think I have an idea."

"I trust you."

"Then plop your butt into the chair," Lindsay with a laugh as she began to pick up her brushes. Elena took a seat in the chair, and she could almost tell that she was going to fall asleep if she set there long enough. "I remember you sister's first prom and how you had came with her." Elena smiled at the memory of her and her sister going to get their hair done because her sister was going to prom.

"Oh yeah," Miranda said with a smile. "Katherine demanded that Elena also get her hair done," she laughed.

"I remember," Lindsay laughed. "I remember your sister kept her hair down and I curled it," she said fondly.

"Yeah she did," Elena said with a smile.

"Okay, here we go," Lindsay said while beginning to brush Elena's hair out. Elena could already feel herself falling asleep as she was having her hair being played with.

* * *

 **Dream:**

Twelve-year-old Elena walked beside her older sister that was busy chatting with her two friends, Allie and Sydney. Elena was too busy being happy that her sister was paying to let her get her hair done. She remembered Katherine saying that Elena deserved to get hair her done too.

"Elena," Katherine said cheerfully. "Have you thought of what you want done?" Katherine was very beautiful with her long curly dark brown hair and big brown eyes. Elena and Katherine could have been twins had they been born in the same year since they looked so much a like. Everyone always told Katherine how beautiful she was and how gorgeous she was. Katherine wasn't just beauty, she was also very smart and was planning on becoming an Infectious Disease Doctor.

"Yes," Elena said happily as she twirled around in her pink skirt and Katherine laughed.

"Come on," Katherine said while linking her arms with Elena's as they walked into the shop. "I can't wait until you go to prom, we can go dress shopping."

"Really you would come back for that?"

"Of course baby sis," Katherine said with large smile while pushing her in the chair and telling Lindsay to everything Elena wanted. Elena couldn't get the smile off her face.

After getting hair done and not wanting to stay longer while Katherine and her friends got their hair done, Elena made her way down to where she knew she would find Damon. He was playing football with Stefan and he stopped when he saw her walking through the yard wearing little pink skirt and a white polo shirt. She had her hair done up in a princess up do. Elena's hair was curled and in half up and half down style. Damon couldn't his eyes off her as she came skipping up to them in her flip-flops.

"Boys," she laughed while pulling her sunglasses off. "Whatcha doin?"

"What did you do to your hair?" Stefan asked with a laugh as she caught the football that was headed for his head.

"Kat, let me get my hair done," she said with a huge smile. "How does it look?"

"Beautiful," Damon said while running up behind her and wrapping his arms around her before swinging her around. She laughed and giggled while trying to get out of the hold Damon had on her.

"Damon," she laughed more. "I can't ruin my hair, Kat wants pictures," she giggled when he began to tickle. "Damon," she shouted while laughing more after she finally got free running towards Stefan to protect her.

"I'm not protecting you," Stefan laughed as she hid her self behind him.

"Elena," Damon called as he raced towards her.

"Damon, no," she laughed. "Kat, also wants you in the pictures."

"Oh no," Damon grumbled. "Tell her, me and Stefan went to dad's."

"I can't she already knows you're here," she laughed. "Come on, let's pick you out something cute."

"Nothing cute," Damon grumbled more as Elena dragged him towards the house.  
"I feel lucky to be me," Stefan laughed while picking up the football.

"Can't Stefan go in my place?" Damon begged.

"Nope, you're my best friend," Elena said with a huge wicked smile before dragging him into the house.

"Help," Damon yelled to Stefan to laughed.

* * *

 **Back to Present –**

Elena stood in her bedroom while having her mom help her into her dress, trying not to mess up her hair. Elena could hear her mom zipping up the back of the dress and she sighed when her mom told her the dress was zipped up.

"Thank you mom," Elena said with a huge smile before her eyes landed on the picture of her sister at her junior prom dressed in a purple beaded chiffon gown that had the sides cut out. The straps on the dress had been beaded and the back was open too. Katherine looked beautiful in the picture has she posed beside her boyfriend and date. Elena hated the person in the picture beside her, which was Elijah Mikaelson. Elijah had been her sister's boyfriend and the person who had been in the car that night when her sister had passed away.

Elena had to look away from the picture before looking in her mirror and beginning to do her make-up. Her mom came around holding a pearl bracelet that she knew had belonged to her grandmother.

"I want you to wear this," Miranda said while handing her daughter the bracelet. "It goes with your dress."

"Thank you mom," Elena said with a smile as she slipped the bracelet on before finishing the finally touches to her make-up and clipping her earrings into place which were pink heart shape crystal. She turned to face her mother with a smile.

"So beautiful," Miranda said with a huge smile and few tears in her eyes.

"Thank you mom," Elena said while turning around to look at herself in the full-length mirror attached to her closet door. Elena was wearing a beautiful pink a-line gown that was tea length, and had delicate lace throughout the dress. It had a high neck that was sheer and lace done in a halter that covered the sweetheart neckline that was beaded with lace. The back had a beautiful keyhole. It had polka dots throughout it and it had a beaded band going around the waist. The dress was beautiful on Elena and made her look like a princess.

"Here sweetie," Miranda said while handing her daughter her shoes. The shoes were champagne colored pumps with lace and crystals around the vamp and ankle strap. "You look like a vision."

"Oh mom," she said with a blush at her mother's words. She looked back in the mirror to double check her make-up that she had done lightly and to make sure her hair was still in place. Her hair was a curly updo that was messy a little bit, but in a good way.

* * *

 **Later on –**

Elena was busy trying to make herself not feel so nervous has Tyler held her hand. They were just pulling up to the mansion that was glowing in the night air. She was wearing a beautiful corsage with pink roses and pink alstroemerias, with a pink ribbon. Elena could tell Tyler tried, but the flowers weren't her favorite, but she wouldn't tell him that. She smiled over at Tyler who was wearing a grey tux with a pink tie and vest, along with a white button down. She had to admit that he did look handsome.

"You look beautiful," Tyler said with a smile before kissing her hand and she smiled back at him.

"You look good yourself," she said with a laugh as their car doors opened and they were ushered out and towards the front door that had what looked to be a bunch military guards or a bunch of knights on each side of the door in a line holding swords above their heads making a walkway that they would have to walk under. Tyler smiled over to Elena as he handed his keys over to one of the parents that was helping out at the event.

They both made their way into the mansion that was beautifully decorated with tinkling lights and several old fashion lanterns. As they began to their way towards the ballroom they could see a bunch of round tables with white birdcages centerpieces with light inside them.

Every thing was done in whites and crème colors. The whole ballroom came out lovely with the theme of being; A Night Under The Stars and making it look elegant. She had to admit that Taylor knew what she was doing when it came to planning this event. People were walking around talking to each other and she could spot teachers all around the room talking to each other.

"Do you want to get our pictures first?" He asked as they stood by the large staircase with a chandelier hanging over it.

"Sure," she said with a smile as they walked over to where they were talking couple pictures.

"Are you guys next?" The photographer asked.

"Yeah," Tyler said while grabbing her hand as they walked through a door into what looked like enchanted forest. There was one large dark colored gazebo with lights wrapped around the columns. The top of gazebo was done in ivy vine garland with beautiful dark red roses. There was a walkway up to the gazebo that was lit by ivory birdcages. Three white-lighted trees, about seven feet tall stood around the gazebo. Two black candle stands stood on each side of the walkway.

"They sure know how to throw a party," Tyler laughed while wrapping his arms around her middle as the posed for pictures. Elena couldn't help but smile and laugh as the photographer took more pictures of them.

* * *

 **A Little Bit Later –**

Elena and Tyler were making their way out to the garden with a few other fellow classmates after having a six-course meal. Elena was amazed and feeling like she was on cloud nine as she lived the life of the rich and famous. The garden was decorated nicely with a large patio with columns and arches covered in ivy vine garland and flowers. She could see fellow classmates dancing on the makeshift dance floor. There was also several round tables around the dance floor with white chairs that had wire hanger mason jars hanging to them with candles. On the tables were white table clothes with lace print glass tea light holders. White paper lanterns hang from the trees. There was also a couple rose tresses around the area, along with decorating moss. The garden looked magical and Elena couldn't help but get caught in the magic.

Elena and Tyler danced the night away before Bonnie came over stealing Elena away. Bonnie was dressed in a stunning sapphire colored, chiffon gown that had a ruched bodice and sweetheart neckline. There was a beaded detail at the waist. It had flowing layers to it, so when she moved around it look like it floated. Bonnie had her hair up in a curly fishtail braid and she looked sophisticated.

"Wow, look at you," Bonnie said with a smile. "I've been trying to get over here all night," she laughed.

"It's fine," Elena laughed. "You look amazing."

"Thank you!"

"I can't believe this is prom?"

"It pretty cool isn't it," Bonnie said with a grin.

"Look at you two beautiful ladies," Taylor said with a huge smile as she came over to them followed by Grace. Taylor was wearing an elegant black formal lace gown with a low open back. The skirting was made of sheer lace, along with the bodice that had an illusion sweetheart neckline. The skirting was done in folded manner that went the floor. Her hair was down and curled.

"Look at yourself," Elena said with a smile.

"I know right," Taylor laughed while twirling around.

"She's been doing that all night," Grace laughed. Grace was dressed in a stunning floor length black dress with cap sleeves and satin belt around the waist. The neckline was done in a bandeau style that was sheer and low cut back. Grace also had her hair down and curled.

* * *

 **Later that Night –**

Elena cheeks were tinged pink and she couldn't stop smiling by the time she got home. Tyler walked her up the walkway towards her front door. She had been able to forget about everything and had been able to have an amazing time.

"I'm glad I went tonight," she said with a smile while twirling around.

"I'm glad to," he said with a smile.

"I know I have been busy all week and I wanted to apologize again for what Damon did last week."

"You don't have to," he said while shaking his head. "You didn't do anything, I just don't understand why your parents won't do anything about him."

"Because he's my mom's godson," she explained. "He's aunt Lily's son."

"Still, you're her daughter and he treats you like shit."

"Can we not talk about this," she begged while rubbing at her temples.

"I'm sorry, I just wish there was something I could do to the guy. I just don't understand why everyone is so protective of him."

"Because you weren't here," she explained. "You didn't grow up with us."

"Then explain to me so I can understand."

"Me and Damon we were born on the same day. He was born at 12:01 in the morning, and I was born at 6:30 in the morning. Our mothers were at the same hospital," she explained. "They even shared the same hospital room, because uncle Giuseppe had donated a lot of money to fund a new wing on the hospital. He had special privileges to allow him to have his wife and her friend in the same room. I was actually not supposed to be delivered until the 28th, but I came that day," she laughed. "When Damon was born, I guess he wouldn't stop crying and then when I was born, I was born a peaceful baby and only cried a few times from what my mom says," she laughed more.

"I don't get where this going?" Tyler asked.

"I'll explain," she sighed. "So when they were moving our mother's into the new room they allowed us to be moved into the room too, mostly because Damon had woke up the whole nursery screaming so loud. Aunt Lily could not get Damon to stop crying and my mom said she was to the point of crying. I was more calm and for some reason they got the idea of putting us in the same crib, and when they did that, I guess Damon just settled down…even though they got in trouble for it by the nurses," She explained. "Once we left the hospital, Damon just wouldn't stop crying. So they tried it again by having aunt Lily bring him over and letting him share the same crib as me," she tried to explain.

"Elena, where are you going with this?" Tyler asked.

"I'm getting there," she explained. "So since the days of us sharing the same crib, me and Damon just bonded and ever since we have had this connection," she tried to explain but was getting weird looks from Tyler. "I know it doesn't make sense, but it's always been me and him until that huge mess happened. I have always protected Damon, Tyler…ever since we have been little, I have always protected him."

"He doesn't really deserve it."

"I know, but it's always kind of been my job to make sure that he do things that could hurt himself. I have always been the one that can calm him."

"Elena?" Tyler questioned. "It's not really your job to protect him."

"Tyler, I know it doesn't make sense," she sighed. "But I guess to a point I have been protecting him from getting in trouble."

"Why?"

"Because I miss my old friend and I don't want him to get in trouble," she sighed. "And really I am protecting my mom and aunt Lily."

"I think you should tell your parents," Tyler pointed out. "I don't understand how no one that's an adult doesn't see how he treats you."

"Don't you get yet," she snipped. She was beginning to hate the conversation she was having with Tyler. "Damon's charming," she pointed out. "Specially around my parents and other adults. They think he's perfect and that he can't do any wrong. I think my father is the only one that isn't fooled by Damon. Damon's a good manipulator, Tyler. He charming and nice and sweet," she listed. "Around everyone else, he doesn't treat me horribly. Now we were are alone with other classmates, he's an ass and you saw that first hand."

"Then you shouldn't protect him or anyone," Tyler pointed out. "You should tell on him."

"But I can't Tyler," she said with a sigh. "My aunt Lily just got out of the hospital and she's really sick…and my mom is busy running her business and taking care of my aunt Lily too."

"So your feeling aren't important?"

"That's not what I am saying," she stressed.

"It sure sounds like it."

"Tyler," she sighed, "you didn't see my mom after my sister passed away. You didn't see the light leave her eyes and how she closed herself off. How only going to church and talking to a professional, actually helped," she said while looking down at the ground. "I can't bring myself to tell her that I have been being bullied under her watch, because I think that would break her again."

"But she's the adult…you're not the parent, Elena."

"I know," she said with a loud sigh.

"So again, you're putting everyone before you."

"Some times you have to do that."

"No you don't."

"Tyler," she said loudly, hoping her parent's wouldn't hear. "You just don't understand."

"Then help me understand," he stressed. "I want to know everything about you, but there is like part of you that you keep closed off."

"What?" She said while shaking her head in confusion.

"You show everyone else at school this one side of you, but," he paused, "there's this other side of you that you keep closed off and I think you only show a couple of people and one of them was Damon, wasn't?" He asked.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," she huffed, hating that he was right on point.

"But it's the truth and I feel like I am competing against him for you."

"Tyler now you're sounding jealous and like idiot, Damon hates me."

"I thought that may be the case when I first met him, but when I met him again at your house…well now I know I am not seeing things," Tyler laughed bitterly. "If he hates you so much, then why protect him? And for one," he paused, "he doesn't hate you. Your just blind."

"What are you talking about?" She asked confused. "He hates me," she stressed. "He's made my life a living hell."

"Then why do you protect him?" He asked again.

"Tyler leave it alone," she stressed. "We were having a good time and you had to bring him into it."

"Oh my God, you're you in love with him? Is that why you protect him?"

"No, no," she repeated. "No of course not. You're being stupid." Her voice sounded weak and blush was creeping up her cheeks.

"Your in love with him," Tyler said again as he caught the look on Elena's face. "You guys have this weird relationship and anyone with eyes can see that."

"Tyler come on," she said while shaking her head as he stepped away from her.

"I tried to fool myself when he was up in your bedroom and was spouting all that stuff, but now looking at your face…it's true?"

"Tyler," she said while sighing. "It's not true. I hate him, he's made my life a living hell."

"No you don't," Tyler shouted. "You love him and he loves you."

"He doesn't love me," she said while biting her lip. "Why don't you get that? He may love bulling me, but he hates me."

"Oh God, look at your face," Tyler said with defeat. "You are in love with him, Elena."

"Stop saying that, because you have no idea what you're talking about," she yelled. "Why did you have bring this up?"

"I wish I hadn't," Tyler cursed.

"I wish you hadn't either," she yelled. "Just leave," she said while glaring at him. "Until you can get your head out of your ass, just leave."

"I'm just telling it how it is at least," Tyler said with a shake of his head. "You may not want to it admit, but at least now I see it clearly."

"Tyler," she hissed.

"I think it's time you left." She could hear Damon say as he came out of the shadows dressed in a pair of dark jeans and black shirt and his signature leather jacket.

"Damon?" She questioned.

"Oh look your white knight," Tyler growled.

"Dude, I think it's time you left," Damon said while coming to stand in front of Tyler.

"Of course you would show up," Tyler said while getting more pissed off. "Your reason for this mess to begin with."

"Tyler," Elena shouted. "You started it," she hissed. "Just leave."

"I'm going, don't worry." Elena wanted to cry and the sight of Damon there made her keep her tears at bay.

"Of course you would choose him."

"Tyler," she hissed. "You're one the one that started it."

"I'm going," he said with a shake of his head. "When you find have chosen, then come to me," he said before turning around and heading back to his car.

Elena stood there watching Tyler walk away before turning back to stare at Damon, which all of her emotions were at the surface and she just wanted scream at him.

"No thank you," Damon laughed.

"I'm not thanking you," she hissed. "Your cause of that."

"Really?" He said amused. "I wasn't the one yelling at you."

"Not the point," she growled.

"You know Elena," he said before pausing. "Tyler's not good enough for you."

"Like you have any say in it," she hissed and he just smirked at her.

"He's only out for one thing."

"Just leave," she yelled, hoping she hadn't woken her parents up. "Before I call the police."

"You wouldn't do that," he said with amused smile. Elena couldn't understand what he was saying next as he began to speak in another language and he said," star, I know you're a smart girl…so don't play dumb with me. If you don't break off your stupid relationship, you're going to suffer. You've had your fun pissing me off and making me jealous, but not it's time to stop. You've got my full attention. If you don't break it off, I'll make you regret it for being a stupid girl. You should already know you belong to me. Everyone already sees it." Elena stared back at him with confusion because she couldn't understand what he had just said to her.

"I don't know what you just said," she said in confusion.

He say's back in Italian, "you're a smart girl, you'll figure it out."

"Damon," she snapped. "Okay, now it's my turn to speak and your going to listen to me," she hissed and he looked at her amused. "I may not know you said, but I know you only speak two different languages, English and Italian and I betting that was Italian," she snapped. "You don't know how much you piss me off," she growled. "How much you have hurt me."

"Elena," he tried to say but she glared back at him.

"No you're going to listen," she hissed. "I have protected you my whole life and I am done. I am done being your doormat. You act like I am one of your possessions, which I am not. I tried to protect you, and the only thing you did was threw it back in my face and then preceded to turn everyone against me, bulling me," she said while biting her tongue from saying something else. "Don't you get yet," she laughed bitterly. "I loved you Damon, you were my best friend and I was trying to protect you that night, because my own sister…had passed away in a car crash from drinking and driving," she said while tears began to fall down her face. "I couldn't bear the thought of you not being here, but for some reason that angered you. You turned cold and hateful. If I could back, I don't want I would do differently, because at least I protected you that night," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "You may not care," she said while pressing her lips tightly together. "What made you so hateful?" She asked.

He didn't know what to say back to her, so he just said, "Elena, you need to look harder."

"That's all you have to say to me. Well, guess what," she laughed. "I am not looking. You have pushed me away. Get off my doorstep," she said before opening her front door and went inside, leaving him standing there feeling like a fool. He had came over to tell her sorry and then he saw in her in that beautiful dress and thinking that she looked like a goddess, but that was shattered by seeing that guy with her. It was like that sight of that Tyler guy had set him off and then hearing how he talked to her, it made him more upset. He wanted her to break up with him, but he couldn't blame her because he wasn't a good choice either. He had treated horribly and he had finally done it, he had pushed her so far away and he was afraid he was never going to be able to get her back. Is heart was breaking into a million pieces and he knew that he deserved. He had destroyed something so pure and innocent, all because of what his father had done.

Elena was wiping away at her eyes when she noticed her mom sitting on the couch. She quickly wiped at her eyes and tried to make it look like she wasn't crying, but her mom had got her.

"Elena?" Her mom questioned. "What's going on sweetie?"

"Nothing."

"Did I hear talking to someone out front?"

"Oh, that was Tyler," she said while biting her lip.

"Did he do something?"

"No that was Damon," she said while biting the side of her cheek.

"What did Damon do?"

"Nothing," she said while breathing out and then grinding her teeth together, trying not to say something bad against Damon. "Not like you believe me. I've made sure to make him look perfect in your eyes," she snapped, losing all control.

"Come here Elena," Miranda said while motioning for her to come sit beside her. "I think it's time we talk."

"I don't want to talk," she said while shaking her head.

"I wasn't asking Elena, come on," Miranda said softly. Elena just huffed and moved over to sit beside her mother.

"Now what?"

"Elena, I know you think that you have to protect me," Miranda said softly. "But you don't. You and your dad, think I don't see everything, but I do," she explained. "I know what Damon's been up, I know that he's changed and that's he cutting school and that he's getting bad grades and he's out drinking," she explained. "Giuseppe and me talk and I have tried to talk to Damon and also have tried to get Giuseppe to set Damon up with someone to talk to him, but he's not up for it," she said while shaking her head like it was nonese. "Damon's lost Elena."

"No shit."

"Language," Miranda said with a smirk. "I've hoped for the longest time that you could help him, but I am slowly learning that whatever bond you two had…it's broken isn't it?"

"Maybe," she mumbled.

"What happen? What has Damon done?" Miranda asked. "I know Damon can a temper," she said slowly. "But he hasn't hurt you as he? I know we sometimes hurt the ones we love, because they will forgive us. That's not the case here, is it?"

"He hasn't hurt me physically," she explained.

"Then what has he done?"

"He's just said hurtful things," she whispered, afraid to say them out loud. "He's mad at me for telling on him back then. He hates me and I don't know why," she said beginning to cry for the second time that night.

"What things does he say to you?" Miranda asked while pulling her daughter into a hug.

"Just that he hates me and he calls me a Snitch. He likes to remind me that I ruined his life. He thinks I should have pay for it. He just says mean things to me."

"I have afraid that's what's been going on," Miranda said softly. "Elena I am sorry for not protecting you and that's going to change sweetie. I wish you would have came to me sooner, instead of believing that you had to protect me," Miranda said while rubbing her daughters back as she cried. "I'll tell your daddy wants been going on, along with Giuseppe and they both can talk to him. We will recorrect the problem, because he doesn't he need to be treating you that way. He's supposed to be family and family doesn't hurt each other. Your aunt Lily would be hurt broken thinking her son was acting this way."

"Don't tell dad," Elena begged. "I don't want to get Damon in trouble. It's a lot better than it used to be now that I am at Victoria."

"That's why you switched schools?"

"Yeah."

"Elena, I'll make sure he stops being mean to you or I am not letting him around here. You're more important and never forget that. You're my little girl," Miranda said with a smile before hugging her daughter who was crying. "It'll be okay." Elena felt like a huge weight was off her shoulders by finally telling her mother what had been going on. She knew she needed to tell her mom about Jeremy and wasn't sure how she was going to go by doing that. She figured she had told a enough for tonight and then later she would explain more about how Jeremy was involved. She was just glad her brother was away at college.

"Thank you mom," Elena said while pulling away while wiping her tears away. "I was just nervous about telling you and I was trying to protect you and aunt Lily."

"Your more important than either of us," Miranda said softly. "You're my daughter and I will always put you first."

"I should have known that," she said while biting her lip. "But with Katherine and everything, I have been trying to protect you."

"You didn't have to," Miranda said with a said smile. "And I'm sorry that I made you feel that way. I'm the parent and you're the child, it's my job to protect you."

"It's okay mom," she said with a laugh. "I guess my night got ruin and we both figured out they we were in the wrong," she laughed and her mom laughed to.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to your dad," Miranda said with a smile and it made Elena worried for Damon and she hated that it did.

* * *

 **To my readers and reviewers, thank you! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I since I have to quickly get off here and feed my kid, I will answer your guys questions in the next chapter. Again thank you and please be patient with me.**


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